•:  •*   «  v 


California 

igional 

cility 


i 


'' 


•  .-• 

!<iiv$i 

•iijH&y.x.5  4« 

w       v     .  w  ,^ 
"  w  K  ^  *    •- 

"w"J-5't"-'>2W    ' 

;';""Ji?  * 

^y|^f 

cg^^ 

'    s.yJy'O  w 


THE  LIBRARY 
OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

Ex  Libris 

Katharine  F.  Richmond 

and 
Henry  C.  Fall 


-V'-wJ^ii 


im*wi 


v-v  " 


(HAS.  II.  MORTON, 


Moniiiv,'  Star  Huildin.y, 
Washington  St.,  Dover,  N.  H. 


V  V  W  y  W  V1 

-  y  V/  ^  v/> ,' 


ww -     -w      WwV^^sv 


uBGVBuV^v  w       W*SV  *^;-. 


lippil^^ip 

'^o^v^^^w^ww^^  v  S^yW  ?v™ 

.  !vyv^^^yvyvv'^:w,  ;-^s  A  '^lywMwVH 


'Www 


''•    >V>> 


1645—1656 

PORTSMOUTH     RECORDS 


A   TRANSCRIPT 


FIEST    THIRTY    FIVE    PAGES 


EARLIEST  TOWN  BOOK 


PORTSMOUTH    NEW  HAMPSHIRE 


WITH  NOTES 


FRANK  W  HACKETT 


PORTSMOUTH 

PRIVATELY  PRINTED 
1886 


— . 

/ 


1645—1656 

PORTSMOUTH     RECORDS 

A    TRANSCRIPT 


FIRST    THIRTY    FIVE    PAGES 


EARLIEST  TOWN  BOOK 

PORTSMOUTH    NEW  HAMPSHIRE 


FRANK  W  HACKETT 


PORTSMOUTH 

PRIVATELY  PRINTED 
1886 


R.  O.  POLKINHORN,  PRINTER, 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 


F 


INTRODUCTION 


E  EAKLY  town  records  of  Portsmouth,  New 
Hampshire,  at  least  those  coming  down  as  late 
as  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  richly  deserve  to  be 
printed.  Like  the  records  of  our  oldest  New  England 
towns,  they  have  been  growing  each  year  more  and 
more  valuable,  until  now  their  historic  importance 
justifies  the  outlay  of  a  reasonable  sum  to  secure 
them  against  possible  destruction  by  fire,  or  other- 
wise. Boston  has  taken  the  lead  by  printing  in 
full  not  only  her  early  town  records  (together  with 
those  of  other  towns  now  included  in  her  limits), 
but  also  the  first  three  volumes  of  deeds  in  the 
Suffolk  registry,  under  the  supervision  of  a  Board 
of  Commissioners — a  wise  example  that  should  be 
followed  wherever  practicable. 


1.066732 


ii  Introduction 

In  the  hope  of  awakening  an  interest  in  the  sub- 
ject that  may  do  something  towards  bringing  about 
a  like  result,  I  have  been  at  the  pains  in  vacation 
time  to  copy  the  following  pages  from  the  earliest 
town-book,  and  print  them,  sparing  no  labor  to  en- 
sure accuracy.  We  ought  to  be  thankful  that 
Portsmouth  has  any  early  records  at  all,  for  they 
just  escaped  being  burnt  up  in  the  great  fire,  on  the 
night  of  22d  December,  1813.  The  town-books  and 
papers  were  then  kept  in  a  wooden  chest  at  the 
Selectmen's  office,  in  the  brick  school-house  on 
State  Street,  and  they  would  surely  have  been  lost, 
had  not  one  of  the  selectmen  (Hunking  Peuhallow) 
made  his  way  into  the  building,  and  taken  them  to 
a  place  of  safety.  So  says  Brewster,  who  probably 
knew  the  incident  from  tradition,  in  a  valuable  and 
interesting  sketch  of  Jefferson  Hall,  that  forms  the 
opening  chapter  of  his  second  series  of  Rambles 
About  Portsmouth. 

The  town-books  of  a  date  prior  to  1833  are  five 
in  number.  The  first  contains  a  record  of  town- 
meetings  and  doings  of  the  selectmen  from  1652  (or 
earlier)  to  March,  1696;  the  second,  from  16 
March,  1695,  to  13  April,  1779;  the  third,  from 
29  June,  1779,  to  27  April,  1807  ;  the  fourth, 


Introduction  in 

from  4  May,  1807,  to  26  March,  1821,  and  the  fifth, 
from  16  April,  1821,  to  March,  1833. 

Our  interest  naturally  centres  upon  the  first,  or 
oldest  book'.  The  page  (eleven  and  a  half  by  seven 
and  a  half  inches)  is  smaller  than  that  of  the  suc- 
ceeding volumes.  The  entries  are  closely  written, 
for  the  most  part  on  both  sides  of  the  leaf,  and  the 
pages  number  three  hundred  and  fourteen.  For  a 
long  time,  half  a  century  perhaps,  the  unbound 
pages  of  this  book  (as  I  am  told  by  the  Honorable 
Marcellus  Bufford,  formerly  city  clerk)  had  been 
laid  to  one  side,  tied  up  in  a  paper  parcel,  and 
almost  never  touched.  In  its  stead,  a  copy  was  used 
that  had  been  transcribed  under  the  direction  of  the 
late  Abner  Greenleaf,  in  compliance  with  a  vote  of 
the  Selectmen,  passed  15  February,  1827.  The 
handwriting  is  that  of  Daniel  Huntress.  This  copy, 
which  is  well,  even  handsomely  written,  no  doubt 
answers  better  than  the  original  for  ordinary  pur- 
poses, but  rigid  scrutiny  discovers  an  occasional 
error,  due  perhaps  to  the  recurrence  of  a  word  with 
which  the  copyist  was  not  familiar.  In  1866  the 
original  went  to  the  binder,  who  put  it  into  sub- 
stantial covers,  though  he  appears  to  have  got  a 
leaf  or  two  out  of  its  proper  place.  There  are  also 


iv  Introduction 

bound  up  with  it  the  leaves  of  a  small  index  of 
names. 

The  first  town  clerk  (of  whom  we  know),  or  per- 
son to  whom  was  entrusted  the  keeping  of  the  town- 
book,  was  Renald  Fernald,  "chirurgeon,"  who  came 
over  in  company  with  others  sent  out  by  Capt.  John 
Mason,  about  1630.  After  Fernald's  death  in  1656, 
the  town  chose  Henry  Sherburne  to  keep  the  book, 
at  twenty  shillings  the  year.  Elias  Stileman  suc- 
ceeded Sherburne,  in  1660,  and  held  the  office  of 
town  clerk  until  20  October,  1681,  when  it  was 
ordered  that  John  Fletcher  "keep  the  towne  book, 
and  to  have  for  his  paines,  as  the  sellect  men  shall 
think  fitt,  and  this  to  continue  till  the  towne  take 
further  order."  Richard  Martyn  followed  (April, 
1693-March,  1696),  and  after  him,  Samuel  Keais, 
who,  though  an  indifferent  penman  and  a  some- 
what original  speller,  evidently  gave  general  satis- 
faction, for  he  "kept  the  towne  booke"  from  1696  to 
1714.  Joshua  Peirce  had  the  honor  of  filling  the 
office  for  no  less  than  twenty-nine  years  (1714-43). 
His  successors  were  Hunking  Wentworth  (1743-59); 
John  Penhallow  (1759-80);  Jeremiah  Libby  (1781- 
85);  John  Evans  (1785-92);  George  Wentworth 
(1792-1806)  ;  Samuel  Fernald  (1806-09) ;  Joseph 


Introduction  v 

Seaward  (1809-17);  Thomas  P.  Drown  (1817-26); 
Daniel  P.  Drown  (1826-32),  and  John  Bennett  who 
was  the  last  town  clerk,  serving  from  March,  1832 
to  1849,  at  which  latter  date  Portsmouth  had  be- 
come a  city  and  Mr.  Bennett  was  chosen  the  first 
city  clerk. 

The  first  settlement  of  New  Hampshire  was  made 
at  Portsmouth,  at  a  very  early  date.  David  Thom- 
son, of  Plymouth,  England,  having  sailed  from  that 
port,  in  the  ship  Jonatlian,  arrived  in  the  spring  of 
1623,  off  the  mouth  of  the  Pascataqua.  He  came, 
with  perhaps  not  more  than  ten  men,  to  put  up 
houses  for  carrying  on  fishing,  trading  with  the 
natives — in  fine,  to  begin  a  settlement.  This  was  in 
pursuance  of  a  contract  between  Thomson  and  three 
merchant  adventurers,  also  of  Plymouth,  named 
Abraham  Colmer,  Nicholas  Sherwill  and  Leonard 
Pomeroy.  The  founder  of  New  Hampshire  landed 
at  the  Little  Harbor  mouth  of  the  Pascataqua,  on 
what  is  now  called  Odiorne's  Point,  in  the  town  of 
Rye,  formerly  a  part  of  Portsmouth.  The  Indians 
called  the  spot  "Pannaway."  Here,  on  a  slight 
eminence  that  commands  a  beautiful  view,  Thom- 
son built  a  stone  house,  whose  ruins  in  1680  were 
plainly  seen  when  Hubbard  wrote,  and  traces  of 


vi  Introduction 

whose  foundation  wall  are  not  wholly  obliterated  at 
the  present  day.  Thomson  himself  removed  to  Mas- 
sachusetts Bay  in  1626,  but  it  is  thought  that  the 
settlement  was  not  abandoned. 

The  little  we  know  of  this  infant  enterprise  is 
well  presented  in  a  timely  monograph,  by  the  late 
John  Scribner  Jenness,  entitled  The  First  Planting 
of  New  Hamps7iire,  privately  printed  at  Ports- 
mouth, in  1878.  Upon  sufficient  historical  data  and 
with  much  force  of  reasoning,  this  interesting  writer 
disproves  the  claim,  sometime  asserted,  that  to  the 
Hiltons  at  Dover  Point  (six  or  seven  miles  up  the 
Pascataqua)  is  to  be  credited  the  first  settlement  of 
the  State.  In  the  light  of  the  result  reached  by 
so  accurate  and  otherwise  competent  an  authority, 
the  question  of  prior  locality  ought  surely  to  be 
treated  as  forever  put  to  rest.  Whatever  possible 
doubts  may  have  hitherto  retarded  the  project,  there 
seems  now  to  be  no  good  reason  for  delaying  the 
erection  of  a  plain,  granite  shaft  at  Odiorne's  Point, 
to  mark  the  site  of  the  founding  of  New  Hampshire. 

It  is  proper,  likewise,  to  acknowledge  that  New 
Hampshire  is  indebted  to  Charles  Deane,  of  Cam- 
bridge, Massachusetts,  for  bringing  to  light  and 
annotating  the  original  indenture,  dated  14  Decem- 


Introduction  vn 

ber,  1622,  by  the  terms  of  which  Thomson  had 
bound  himself  to  enter  upon  the  venture.  Dr.  Deane 
discusses,  with  his  usual  learning,  the  bearings  of 
this  instrument  upon  the  history  of  our  first  settle- 
ment, contributing  information  of  special  value 
upon  a  point  long  involved  in  obscurity.  His  re- 
marks are  the  more  welcome,  because  they  clear  the 
subject  of  errors  to  be  laid  to  Hubbard's  door,  to 
whose  statements  hitherto  a  credit  has  been  given 
that  now  appears  unwarranted,  errors  to  be  dealt 
with  by  no  less  an  authority  than  Dr.  Deane,  since 
even  so  careful  and  just  a  writer  as  Belknap  adopted 
them  without  suspicion.  (Notes  Delating  to  David 
Thomson,  etc.  Reprinted  from  proceedings  Mass. 
Hist.  Society,  May,  1876  ;  Cambridge,  1876). 

In  1630,  and  the  two  or  three  years  following, 
Captain  John  Mason,  the  life  of  the  Laconia  Com- 
pany, sent  over  planters,  stewards,  servants,  etc.,  to 
the  number  of  about  forty,  who,  besides  settling  at 
Newichewannock  (Berwick  Falls)  up  the  river,  occu- 
pied the  land  at  Great  Island  (Newcastle)  and  at 
Strawberry  Bank  (Portsmouth),  as  well  as  the  stone 
house  at  Little  Harbor.  Mason's  death  in  1635,  led 
to  a  disintegration  of  the  colony,  as  a  private  enter- 
prise under  one  head.  Somewhere  between  1635  and 


viii  Introduction 

1640,  the  inhabitants,  feeling  the  need  of  an  organ- 
ized government,  entered  into  a  "Combination,"  or 
mutual  agreement  for  local  purposes  to  govern  them- 
selves. The  original  document,  doubtless  signed  by 
all  the  planters,  was  preserved  as  late  as  1680, 
though  not  known  now  to  exist.  Perhaps  it  is  not 
too  much  to  hope  that  a  copy  of  it  may  yet  be 
brought  to  light  among  the  State  Papers  in  London, 
or  from  some  other  source. 

The  earliest  public  act  found  of  record  in  the 
town  books  is  the  grant  of  the  glebe  in  May,  1640. 
Belkiiap  prints  the  names  of  the  signers,  while 
Adams  in  his  Annals  of  Portsmouth  (1825)  gives 
the  instrument  in  full.  It  was  not  copied  into  the 
record  until  February,  1664,  when  the  selectmen 
finding  the  original  on  file,  "nearly  worn  in  pieces 
by  passing  through  many  hands,"  ordered  that  it 
be  transcribed,  "soe  it  may  be  preserved  and  kept 
to  posteritie." 

A  matter  of  pure  conjecture,  I  am  disposed  upon 
the  whole  to  believe  that  about  1640  (though  it  may 
have  been  as  early  even  as  1635)  they  began  to 
keep  a  town  record.  There  are  instances  prior  to 
1640,  where  Mason's  stewards  executed  leases  to 
tenants  for  a  long  term  of  years,  but  they  do  not 


Introduction  ix 

appear  to  be  have  been  made  a  subject  of  record. 
The  earliest  recorded  grant  is  found  among  the 
court  records  at  Exeter,  bearing  date  20  January, 
1643,  a  lease  by  Thomas  Wannerton,  for  the  Pat- 
tentees,  to  Roger  Knight,  of  a  piece  of  marsh  in 
consideration  of  his  faithful  services  and  for  one 
shilling  yearly,  if  demanded.  The  court  records 
begin  in  1640,  just  before  Massachusetts  assumed 
jurisdiction  over  the  Pascataqua. 

Whenever  the  custom  may  have  sprung  up  to 
enter  of  record  private  grants  (which,  it  is  well 
known,  was  not  done  in  England)  we  may  feel  sure 
that  as  soon  as  the  planters  came  together,  and 
made  public  grants  of  land,  or  special  privileges,  to 
individuals,  they  adopted  the  plan  of  entering  the 
grant  in  some  public  record.  In  vain,  however,  do 
we  look  in  the  town  books  for  any  but  the  scantiest 
memorial  of  what  was  done  here  before  1651  or  1652. 
Nor  is  it  hard  to  find  the  reason.  We  may  read  it  in 
the  following  entry : 

"January  the  i3th  1652.  At  the  housof  geordge  walton.  This 
night  the  Selectmen  exsamened  the  ould  Town  Booke  and 
what  was  not  aproued  was  crossed  out,  and  what  was  aproued 
was  left  to  bee  Recorded  in  this  Booke  and  to  be  confermed 
by  the  present  Selectmen."  * 


x  Introduction 

After  the  town  officials  had  thus  deliberately  muti- 
lated the  records,  Renald  Fernald  (himself  one  of 
the  Selectmen)  began  a  new  book,  that  which  has 
come  down  to  us,  and  is  referred  to  in  the  above 
extract  as  "this  Booke."  He  seems  to  have  inserted 
here  and  there  entries  copied  out  of  the  old  book, 
as  suited  convenience,  a  method  that  sets  at  defiance 
chronological  order,  and  lends  to  the  opening  pages 
a  look  of  irregularity. 

That  this  extraordinary  procedure  on  the  part  of 
the  Selectmen  deprives  us  of  many  details  of  the 
early  settlement,  which,  could  they  be  restored, 
would  prove  interesting  and  valuable,  does  not  ad- 
rait  of  a  doubt.  The  examiners  spared  but  little. 
Four  lines  from  the  record  of  a  town  meeting  in 
August,  1645  (a  faint  ray  of  light  out  of  the  dark- 
ness), comprise  the  earliest  entry,  and  all  that 
marks  that  year.  For  the  year  following  two  very 
brief  fragments  alone  survive,  while  nothing  what- 
ever is  left  to  us  of  the  date  of  1647.  In  a  note,  to 
be  found  in  the  Appendix,  I  have  pursued  the  sub- 
ject, and  made  an  attempt  to  ascertain  what  could 
have  prompted  the  work  of  spoliation,  and  what 
was  the  probable  character  of  the  missing  entries. 


Introduction  xi 

It  has  been  my  aim  to  present  the  record'  as  it  is; 
and  I  have  tried  to  adhere  to  the  spelling  and 
punctuation  as  closely  as  possible.  Where  a  signa- 
ture is  an  original,  it  is  printed  in  SMALL  CAPITALS. 
In  some  instances  I  have  ventured  to  supply  a  word 
that  is  missing  (generally  at  the  end  of  a  line,  where 
the  leaf  is  torn  or  worn  out),  but  this  applies  to 
cases  only  where  the  right  word  plainly  suggests 
itself. 

Obliged  as  I  am  to  confine  the  copying  to  a  few 
pages,  I  have  selected  the  first  thirty-five,  extend- 
ing to  1656.  To  this  is  added  a  list,  recorded 
a  little  later  on,  of  those  inhabitants  who  subscribed 
from  1658  to  1666,  to  maintain  Mr.  Joshua  Moodey, 
the  minister.  I  have  also  copied  from  the  records 
of  the  First  (North)  Parish  the  names  of  rate  pay- 
ers in  1717,  the  date  when  two  meeting  houses  had 
become  needful.  Such  lists  are  prized  by  the  genea- 
logist, and  I  am  led  to  find  room  for  them  because, 
so  far  as  I  know,  they  are  now  for  the  first  time 
printed. 

To  Doctor  Charles  Deane,  and  to  the  Honorable 
Charles  H.  Bell,  of  Exeter,  each  eminent  in  his 
knowledge  of  early  New  England  history,  I  owe 
much  for  wise  and  friendly  suggestions.  My  thanks 


xii  Introduction 

are  due  Mercer  Goodrich,  Esquire,  the  present  city 
clerk,  for  facilities  extended  to  me  in  consulting 
the  records  under  his  charge.  It  gives  me  pleasure 
also  to  mention  the  Honorable  Marcellus  Bufford, 
and  Samuel  P.  Treadwell,  Esquire,  gentlemen  whose 
long  and  intelligent  acquaintance  with  town  affairs 
has  enabled  them  readily  to  put  me  in  possession  of 
facts,  that  I  could  hardly  have  got  elsewhere. 
OCTOBEE,  1886. 


PORTSMOUTH     RECORDS 


At  a  Tovme  meeting  hild  the  5th  of  Aprill  i6[52]  .  .  It  is 

ordered  that  the  Towns  men  chosen  for  this Mr  Briant 

Pendilton.  John  Pickringe.  Renald  Fernald. -  Henry  Sherborn  : 
&  James  Johnson,  shall  haue  full  Power  to... and  lay 
out,  land  acordinge  as  they  thinke  Beste  for  the  conueninsy  of 
the  Toune :  And  wee  do  fully  agree,  that  theas  befor  named 
Towns  men  shall  have  full  power,  to  order  all  our  Towne 
affayrs.  as  though  our  selues  the  wholl  Towne  wear  Presente. 
vide.  To  calle  into  question  or  ffine  anny  mane  in  cace  of 
...  or  any  breach  of  order :  And  to  make  all  such  Ratts 
....  shall  be  nessisary  for  Publiqu  Chargis  whether  minister 
or  other.  And  also  that  it  shall  be  w[ithin  the]  Power  of 
the  select  men,  to  call  the  Town  together  [to  con]  suit  about 
any  nessisary  affaiers,  for  the  wellfar[e  of  the]  Towne:  giuinge 
Lawfull  warninge  ...  of  a  paper  three  days  befor,  upon  the 
meetinge  . . .  And  also  that  thear  be  two  Publique  meetings  in 
. . .  And  more,  if  ocation  bee.  at  any  Publique  [meeting]  the 
Power,  Remains  to  the  wholl  Towne :  In  [witness]  whearof 
wee  the  Inhabitants  doe  hearunto  .  . .  And  that  the  Summons 
was  Lawfull  for  ....  day  for  our  Publique  meetinge 
William.  Seavie  Anthony.  Bracket 

Roger.  Knight  francis.  Trike 

Ellixander.  Bachiller  George.  Walton 

Ollivere  Trimings  John.  Jackson 

Robert.  Mussell  John  Sherburn 

William.  Brookin  Thomas.  Peverlly 

Robert.  Davis  William,  frethy 

Walter.  Abbite  Robert.  Pudington 

Francis.  Rand  Thomas  Walford 

Thaddeus.  Riddan  Richard  Cut  [2] 

John.  Jones 


14  Portsmouth  Records 

A  copy  of  an  order  of  the  Court  hild  at  Boston  th.  7th  mon 
1643. 

Whearas  it  apeareth  to  this  Court  that  the  commishoners 
apoynted  to  lay  out  the  Bounds  between  Douer  and  Strawbery 
Bank  Did  not  consider  the  sayd  Strawbery  Banke,  as  a  Towne, 
nor  so  exactly  veued  the  land  on  that  side  the  Riuer,  as  was 
needfull  and  thear  upon  layd  out  certine  lands  to  Douer  which 
was  most  conuenient,  for  Strawbery  Banke,  and  certine  lands 
for  Strawbery  Banke  whis  is  most  conuenient,  for  Douer, 
so  acknowliged  to  be  by  on  of  the  sayd  commishoners  in  this 
present  court  :  It  is  thear  fore  finally  ordered,  that  all  the 
marsh  and  medow  ground  lyinge  against  the  great  Bay,  on 
Strawbery  Banke  side  shall  belonge  to  the  Town  of  Douer  to- 
gether with  400  ackers  of  upland  ground  adioyninge,  and  lyinge 
near  to  the  said  medow  to  be  layed  out  in  such  a  forme,  as  may 
be  most  conuenient  for  the  improuinge  and  fencinge  in  of  the 
sayd  medow :  The  Remainder  [of]  the  sayd  ground  to  be- 
longe to  Strawbery  Banke.  Reseruinge  the  [due]  right  to 
eaury  on,  that  hath  properieties  in  the  same. 

Subscribed  Incrase.  Nowell  Secritary  [3] 

At  a  Toune  metinge  hild  at  Strawbery  Banke  the :  4  :  of 
March  :  1646. 

It  was  granted  that  John  Sherborn  should  haue  a  hous  [lot] 
And  apourtenancis.  belonging  thear  unto,  at  the  head  of  .... 
betwene  William  Sevy  and  Henry  Sherborn  : 

At  a  metinge  the  :  20  of  May  :  1651. 

This  day  John  Sherborn  is  granted  hime  three  ackers  of  ... 
at  the  Sandy  Beach  :  which  is  not  yeat  apropriated  if  ....  thear 
to  be  had 

At  a  generall  toune  meetinge  the  .  7  .  of  aprell  :  1651 
It  is  granted  that  John  Pickringe  shall  have  ...  of  marsh,  in 
case  he  can  find  any  voyd  not  yeat  ....  or  mad  youse  of  by 

any  of  the  said  inhabitants  : of  the  said  marsh  thought 

to  lie  voyd  before  the  me  ....  house  which  John  Pickring 
haue  promised  to  fence 

At  a  meeting  hild  the  :  n  :  of  August  :  1651 

It  was  granted  this  day  by  the  common  consent ....  Allix- 
sander  Bachelor  shall  haue  a  lotte  upon called  pom- 


Portsmouth  Records  15 

fres  poynt :  so  that  he  hinder  not  any  ....  of  former  priuilidge 
of  landing  upon  the  g[reat  Island] 

At  a  meeting  hild  the  .  25  .  of  August  :  1645  : 
It  also  granted  this  present  day  that  the  Illand  .  .  called 
Clamperinge  Illand,  shall  wholly  belong  [unto]   Thomas  Wil- 
liams with  all  its  aportenancies  as  ....  and  marsh.  & 

At  a  meeting  hild  the  August  the  :  15  :  1646  : 

it  is  granted  Renald  ffernald   is  to  haue  fouer   [acres]    of 

marsh  at  the  great  house,    which  marsh  lieth gutter  on  the 

south  olliuer  trimings  ....  he  ....  north,  goodman  Bartton  on 
the  east  ;  and  also  h[ave]  fouer  acers  of  marsh  more  at  the 
fresh  ....  be  both  marked  out  at  this  present 

At  a  meeting  hild  the  :  10  :  of  Jully  :  1648 

this  day  in  presence  of  the  town  William  B[erry  hath]  giuene 
unto  Anthony  Ellins  :  possession  of  his  ....  house  and  eaight 

ackers  of  land  lyinge said  house  and  also  all  his  right 

and  tit[le  at]  the  date  hereof  in  the  fresh  [marsh] 

Renald  [Fernald]  [4] 

[At  a  meeti]ng  held  .  .  .  Day  of  ...  1648 

It  is  likewise  granted  this  day  that  Henry  Sherborn  may 
mow  in  the  fresh  marsh  that  lyeth  beyound  william  Sevys  west- 
ward about  2  mills,  not  befor  mowed  he  is  to  have  twentie 
Ackers  of  the  sayd  marshe. 

At  a  meettinge  hild  the  :  7  :  of  aprell  :  1651 

It  is  granted  this  towne  meetinge  that  mr  Ambrose  Lanne 
or  his  assignes  shall  haue  free  libertie  to  fall  any  timber  lieinge 
in  common,  for  the  uese  of  his  mills  in  Sagamor  Creke  :  and  to 
lett  any  perticuler  man  in  the  limmits  of  Straberry  banke  towne. 
to  haue  boards  on  shilling  in  a  hundred  ffoot  cheapper  than 
the  prise  that  he  selleth  unto  others,  prouided  that  it  be  for 
their  own  particuler  ues  :  except  building  of  ships  and  barks, 
or  boats,  thay  are  to  pay  the  prise  curante. 

[5] 

At  a  Towne  meetinge  hild  the  :  20  :  of  may  :  1651 
It  is  granted  this  Towne  meeting  :  that  John  :  webster  shall 
haue,  the  huse  sould  by  Jaffry.  Ragge  :  to  Roger  knight  on  the 
great  Illand.  and  likewise  eaight  ackers  of  land  near  ajoyninge. 


16  Portsmouth  Records 

to  be  laied  by  the  Touns  men.  fewer  Rods  at  the  watter  side 
and  the  Rest  to  goe  bake : 

At  a  Towne  meetinge  hild  the  :  7  :  of  Jully  :  1651  : 

1  It  is  agred  on  at  this  Towir  meetinge  that  whearas  thear 
hath  bine  a  foot  path  usually  made  viz  :  ouer  John  pickrins 
grounds  from  ouer  his  mill  dame,  and  from  thence  allonge  by 
the  mill  path  unto  his  next  path  and  so  derecte  as  conuenien  . . . 
may  towards  the  present  meetinge  house  :  to  [be]  continued  for 
the  more  ease  of  the  Inhabitants  and  others  that  shall  have  oca- 
sion  to  trauill  that  waye  at  all  time  and  times  :  hereafter  with- 
out leave  of  the  sayd  John  pickringe.  ore  any  man  ells  to  be 
continued  for  euer. 

2  It  is  likewise  agreed  one  this  Toune  meetinge  that  Jerimy 
walford  shall  haue  twenty  acres  of  land  lienge  near  his  house 
one  the  great  Illand  and  one  the  easter  side  of  the  sayd  house 

At  a  meeting  hild  the  n  :  of  August  :  51 

It  was  granted  unto  mr  Pindelton  in  the  behalfe  of  mr  wil- 
liam  Paine,  a  parsill  of  land  for  a  husse  and  gard  .  .  between  the 
ouid  docters  feilde  and  the  poynt  upon  the  east  sid  of  the  coue 
next  below  wottons  necke  [7] 

Aprill  the  5th  1652 

1  It  is  ordered  this  day  that  all  grants  formerly  granted  and 
Rec[orded]  although  thay  be  not  signed  by  the  Towns  men, 
neuer  the  lesse  the  s[aid]  grants  and  possessions  shall  bee  of 
force  :  and  the  present  Towns  men  shall  haue  power  to  con- 
ferme  what  shall  bee  proued  to  be  grants  :  so  that  it  be  no 
mans  former  properite 

2  It  is  granted  this  day  that  mr  Richard   Cut  is  to  haue  a 
Lotte  between  the  fresh  marsh  crejce  and  the  next  freshet  be- 
low the  fall,  and  so  upward  toward  his  marsh,  all  which  is  to- 
be  layed  out.  at  the  present  Towns  mens  discression  for  a 
ffarme 

3  It  is  ordered  this  day  that  francis  Trike  is  to  clear  his 
hous  of  goodman  greene,  and  his  wiffe,  and  children,  in  a 
munths  time,  and  for  euery  day  that  the  sayd   francis   Trike, 
shall  entertayn  them  aboue  the  sayd  time,  he  is  to  pay  twenty 
shillings 

signed  mr  Brian.  Pendelton  Renaid.  Fernald  Henry.  Sherburn. 
John.  Pickringe  James.  Johnsane 


Portsmouth  Records  17 

At  a  meetinge  hild  the  3  of  may  1652 

...  It  is  ordered  that  the  greate  Illand,  shall  bee  left  .  .  . 
mon  espesially  the  land  by  the  watter  side.  To  each  Lott  be 
granted,  thay  shall  note  exsed  on  Acer  of  Land  :  ...  as  haue 
bine  former  planters,  at  the  Touns  disposinge 

2  It  is  ordered  this  day  that  each  Inhabitant  of  this  Towne 
[provide  himself]  with  arms,  mett  for  a  foot  company  :  within 
the  space  [of  one  month]  after  the  Date  hearof  vid.  by  the 
third  of  June  next  .  th  .  .  .  for  our  defense  if  ned  Requier 

Signed  by  mr  Brian  [Pendelton]  Renal[d  Fernald]  Henr[y 
Sherburn]  John  [Pickering]  James  [Johnson.]  [8] 

At  a  toune  meetinge  hild  the  i4th  aprill  1650 
It  is  ordered  this  town  mettinge  that  euery  ordnery  keeper 
in  this  town  shall  pay  for  euery  pipe  of  wine  thay  drawe  shall 
pay  to  the  town  twenty  shillings — this  is  a  trew  copy  out  of 
the  ould  booke 

At  a  Town  meetinge  at  Strawbery  banke  the  i$th  of  August: 
1646: 

It  is  ordered  that  John  Pickringe  shall  haue  fower  Ackers  of 
marsh  in  the  fresh  marsh,  which  fower  Ackers  liethe  at  the  en- 
tery  of  the  marsh,  upon  the  south  side  of  the  Creeke  as  it  is 
marked  out  :  &  also  fouer  of  salt  marsh  at  the  great  house 
ajoininge  to  the  great  paund  on  the  south  sid.  and  next  to 
James  Johnson  on  the  east  side  and  Anthony  brakit  on  the 
west : 

Signed  by  :  John.  Renals          ) 

John.  Crouther      v  Taken  out  of  the  ould  Booke 
&  William.  Berry  ) 

Att  a  Towne  meetinge  hild  the  tenth  day  of  Jully  1648 
Whearas  thear  was,  by  a  former  acte  of  the  Town  granted 
unto  the  parssonage  house,  the  full  tenth  parte  of  the  fresh 
[ma]rsh,  with  upland  to  belonge  thearunto,  and  as  yeat,  the 
tenth  [parte]  cannot  be  knowne  ;  by  Reson  it  is  not  yeat  mes- 
sured  nor  [laid]  out  ;  wee  whos  names  are  under  wrighten  do 
assign  unto  [the  par]ssonnage  house  :  fower  ackers  of  the  be- 
fore named  fresh  [marsh]  next  westward  of  the  marsh  of  mr  : 
francis  williames  ....  in  his  time  hee  mowed  :  and  upon  the 
south  sid  of  [the  fre]shet  or  brooke  :  the  which  marsh  was 

neuer  mowed in  wittnes  whearof  wee  do  hear  unto  sett  our 

hands. 
3n 


18  Portsmouth  Jtecords 

Signed  by — Renald  Fernald  William  Seauy  Robert  Pud  ing- 
ton 

Taken  out  of  the  ould  booke  May  (152  [George  Wa]lton  is 

granted  six  ackers  of  lande  within  on  disorderly  closed 

in  upon  the  great  Illand  ....  ackers  is  to  be  taken  upon  the 
south  side  . . . .  e  foot  pathe  :  this  was  granted  at  the  great 
Hand 

Brian.  Pendlton  Jams.  Johnson  John,  pickring  Renald.  Fer- 
nald [9] 

At  a  generall  mettinge  hild  the  i7th  of  May  1652 

1  mr  Ambrose  Lanne  and  James  Johnson,  are  chosen  Com- 
mishoners  [unto]  the  next  Courte  at  boston  for  an  anser  unto 
the  petitione  made  in  October  1651.  and  to  atend  any  other  oca- 
tion  at  the  nexte  generall  courte  that  is  nedful  for  the  Toune 
acordinge  unto  thear  Commishon 

2  The  Commishoners  are  desired  to  presente  unto  the  next 
Courte.  mr  Richard  Leader,  mr  Ambros  Lane  and  mr  Pendil- 
ton  to  be  confermed  asosiats  hear  at  Strabery  Banke 

3  It  is  also  desired  that  mr  Thomas  Bellingum  may  be  pre- 
sedent  at  this  Courte  at  Strabery  Banke 

4  It  is  farther  ordered  that  the  sellect  men  haue  power  to 
Draw  the  commishone 

5  mr  Briant  Pendillton  is  chosen  this  day  commander  of  the 
Trayn  Band 

6  mr  Theados  Riddan  is  chosen  clarke  of  the  courte 

7  It  is  granted  this  day  that  Ellixsander  Bacheller  is  to 
keepe  the  ferry,  from  the  great  Illand,  unto  the  Randavow.  or 
the  great  house  to  reseve  for  each  singell  persone,  fouer  pence 
to  the  great  house — and  from  goodman  sherborns  poynt,  unto 
Strabery  banke,  six  pence  the  man  ;  and  two  pence  the  man 
from  the  great  Illand  unto  goodman  [Sherjborns  poynt 

mr  Brian  Pendilton  Henry  Sherburne  Renald  Fernald  James 
Johnson 

At  a  meeting  hild  the  tenth  of  August,  1652 

1  It  is  ordered  that  John  pickringe  and  henry  Sherb[orn 
go]  up  unto  Douer  with  george  walton  to  acoumpt  with  [them] 

about  the  Differense  betwin  us  and  the  Inhabitants 

court  charges 

2  It  is  ordered  that  thare  shall  bee  a  Rate  made  ....    for 
the  towns  youse 


19 

3  ...     goodman  Sherborn  is  chosen  tresuerer  for  this 
year  to  be  accountabull  unto  the  sellect  men  on     .... 

4  It  is  ordered  that  mr  Briant  Pendilton   and  J   .   .   .   are 
apoynted  to  wright  a  letter  unto  ....  respect  of  an  anser  of 
the  gener[al  court]  [lO] 

5  ....  goodman  pickringe :  and  goodman  Sherburn  haue 
power  for  to  take  an  accoumpt  of  the  late  tresseuerer,  william 
sevey  and  to  call  in  all  former  Rates 

Renald    Fernald   Henry   Sherburn   Brian    Pendilton    John 
Pickringe  James  Johnson 

At  a  towne  meetinge  hild  the  i3th  of  September  1652 

1  It  is  ordered  that  from  hence  forth  all  lisensed  persons 
shall  giue  a  juste  accoumpt  of  what  wine  they  shall  take  into 
ther  house  for  sayll  within  three  dayes  after  the  Reset  of  the 
same,     the  which  acoumpt  is  to   be  giuen   unto  the  Towne 
Tresurer ;  mr  Henry  Sherborne,  upon  forfiture  of  such  wines 
as  shall  be  neglected,  for  frensh  wines  the  Ratte  is  fiue  shilling 
the  hhead,  and  for  all  other  wines  ten  shillings  the  hhead  and 
for  all  other  smaller  caske  porporshanabuly 

2  It  is  granted  unto  Joseph  Pendilton  on  full  acer  of  Land 
upon  the  great  Illand  by  the  common  consent 

3  It  is  granted  unto  georg  walton  upon  the  great  Illand  on 
acer  of  Land  neare  unto  his  house  at  the  discretion  of  the 
Towne  men  to  be  layed  out 

4  george  walton  hath  agreed  with  the  Towne  this  day  for 
all  the  wine  he  hath  Draune  befor  this  day,  and  is  to  pay  un- 
to the  Towne  the  full  sume  of  six  pounds. 

[5]  John  Webster  hathe  agreed  with  the  Towne  for  all  the 
wine  he  hath  drawne  befor  this  day,  and  is  to  pay  fifty  shillings 

Brian  Pendilton  Renald  Fernald  John  Pickring  Henry  Sher- 
burn 

[II] 

At  a  meeting  hild  the  yth  of  Desember  1652 

1  Henry  Sherborn  and  Renald  ffernald  are  sworn  commis- ' 
honers  for  the  yeare 

2  It  is  ordered  that  upon  teusday  next  thear  is  a  Courte 
keept  by  the  commishoners  at  strabery  banke,  for  the  ending 
of  small  causes 

3  It  is  further  ordered  that  the  commishoners  haue  agreed 
to  take  a  list  of  the  visabull  estates  of  the  inhabitants  of  Stra- 
bery Banke  by  teusday  next,  being  the  i4th.  of  this  present, 
so  that  a  Rate  may  be  made,  and  forthwith  levied  of  30  L  for 
publick  chargis 


20 


Portsmouth  Records 


4  It  is  ordered  that  george  walton  is  to  take  Doune  and  Re- 
moue  his  fense  which  he  disorderly  set  up,  and  to  compound 
with  the  Right  ouners  of  the  marsh,  which  he  inclosed,  as  be- 
for  is  sayd  whether  it  be  Thomas  walford  or  Elixsander  Jones 
is  .  . 

5  It  is  granted   unto    Richard    Seward :    a  lott  upon  the 
norther  sid  of  Strabery  Banke  creek  ouer  against  mr  Campions 
hous:  and  between  the  two  freshits  westward:  so  that  he  build 
thear  up  .  .  within  on  year  after  this  grante 

At  a  meetinge  the.  i3th  of  January  1652 
i  It  is  granted  that  each  Inhabitant  is  to  haue  out  Lotts  of 
acording  unto  the  order  under  wrighten 


acers 

unto  mr  Briant  Pendilton  30 

mr  Richard.  Cut  45 

mr  Leaders  houss  45 

Richard,  Commons  45 
for  Ro.  Kn.  Arcullus  humpkins    50 

Walter.  Abbit  30 

William.  Cotton  20 

John.  Jackson  10 

William.  Hame  50 

Edward.  Barton  20 

Nicholis.  Row  50 

John.  Moysis  15 

mr  Ambros.  Lane  25 

William.  Brookins  10 

Thomas  Walford  50 

Thomas  Peverly  20 

John.  Sherborne  30 

Antony  Ellins  25 

Renald  ffernald  50 

John.    Webster  15 

Robert.  Pudington  10 
goodman  Chaterton  house  10 

henry  Becke  10 

William  Euins  10 


Henry.  Sherborn 
William.  Sevy 
William.  Berry 
Thomas.   Sevy 
Ollyuer.  Trimings 
James.  Johnsone 
Allixsande.  Bachelor 
Jerrimy.  walford 
Francis.  Trikee 
George.  Walton 
Rober.  Mussell 
John.  Wotton 
John.   Pickringe 
John.  Jones  for  fr 
John  Hart  [?] 


acers 
5  • 
5  • 
3  • 
i  . 


[12] 


Captin  Champernon  50 
Antony  Brakite  30 

Richard  Seward  10 

mr  Masons  house  15 

mr  Campions  house  10 
Joseph  Pendilton  10 

granted  unto  Mr.  Richard 
Cut  tene  ackers  in  the  fresh 
marsh  if  it  be  thear  to  be 
had.  not  hindring  John 
Pickrings  grant 


Portsmouth  Records  21 

2  It  is  granted  unto  mr  Richard  Commins  ten  trees  and  un-  " 
to  William  Cotton  ten  trees 

January  the  i3th.  1652     At  the  hous  of  geordge  walton 

This  night  the  select  men  exsamened  the  ould  Town  Booke 
and  what  was  not  aproued,  was  crossed  out,  and  what  was 
aproued,  was  left  to  bee  Recorded  in  this  Booke  and  to  be 
confermed  by  the  present  select  men 

Signed  by  mr  Brian  Pendelton  henry,  sherburn  Renald.  Fer- 
nald  John.  Pickringe  James.  Johnson 

it  was  granted  unto  georg  walton  :  30 :  foot  of  land  at  the 
watter  sid  for  the  buildinge  a  store  house  upon  the  caster  side 
of  the  grauilly  coue  next  his  house,  so  that  it  be  not  upon 
another  mans  former  Righte 

Att  a  Towne  meettinge  held  ye  28th  of  (9)  1653 

That  wher  as  ther  was  an  order  made  at  a  towne  meetinge 
the  i3th  of  yber  1652  that  all  Licensed  psons  within  this  towne 
should  Bring  in  an  acco  :  of  what  wine  they  shall  tacke  into 
draw  within  three  dayes  after  itt  be  recaued  by  them,  on  for- 
fiture  of  sd:  wines  &  also  pay  for  the  drawinge  of  all  such  wines 
to-  the  tresurer  for  the  towne's  use,  as  is  expressed  in  ye  afore 
sd.  order:  that  is  to  say  for  all  frensh  wines,  fiue  shillings  p 
hodghead,  &  all  sorts  of  sacke  at  tenn  shillings  p  hodghead  ;  & 
for  all  other  vessell  biger  or  leser  pportionally 

Wee  the  psent  select  men  of  the  towne  doe  conferme  the 
aboue  sd  order  for  the  use  &  good  of  the  towne 

BRIAN  PENDLETON  RICHARD  CUT  RENALD  FERNALD  JOHN 
SHERBURNE  [13] 

At  a  generall  meettinge  hild  the  i4th  of  march  1(^652] 
It  is  generally  agreed  that  theas  men  under  named  a    .    . 
chosen  Towns  men  for  this  present  year  inseuinge.  vidillis  mr 
Brian  Pendelton  :  mr  Richard  Cut  :   Samuiell  Hains.  Renald  . 
ff ernald  &  John  Sherborn :  and  haue  granted  unto  them  the  same 
power  that  was  granted  the  year  past:  further  it  is  agreed  up- 
on that  the  magor  part  of  the  sayd  sellect  mens  acte:   shall 
stand:  witnes  our  hands 

Henry.  Sherburn  Richard.  Tucker  James.  Johnson  William. 
Euins  Anthony.  Brakit  Ellixsander.  Bachiller  Thomas.  Sevy 
William.  Berry  francis.  Rand  francis.  Trickee  Robert.  Puding- 
ton  William  Cotton  Walter.  Abbit  Richard  Commins  Thomas 
Peuerly  Oliver  Trimings 


22  Portsmouth  Records 

v  granted  unto  Olliver  Trimmings  ten  trees  for  making  erf 
pipstaves 

1  It  is  generally  agreed  upon  that  euery  wolfe  that  hereafter 
shall  be  killed  in  this  Towne  :  the  partie  shall  have  twenty 
shillings  of  the  Town  stocke 

2  It  is  ordered  that  thear  shall  be  a  Court  keept,  for  the 
ending  of  small  causes  :  upon  the  28th  of  this  present  month 

3  Renald  ffernald  it  this  day  chosen  for  to  keep  the  Towne 
Booke,  and  to  haue  for  his  paines.  twenty  shillings  for  the  year 
and  for  all  coppeis  he  shall  be  paied  by  whom  shall  Imploy 
hime 

4  It  is  farther  granted  by  the  commone  consent  :  that  mr 
Richard  Cutt  Renald  ffernald  and  John  Sherborn  are  to  go  to 
morow,  or  the  next  fair  day  :  unto  the  fresh  marsh  alr[eady] 
granted  :  unto  John  pickringe :  and  unto  mr  Richard  C[utt] 
vidi.  to  each  of  them  ten  acers  :  and  the  Rest  to  be  Di  .... 
to  :  William  Cotton  :    Walter  abbit :    franscis  Rands  :    John 
[Jones]  to  whom  shall  bee  thought  fitt  by  them,  and  Recordid 
seuerall  lotts  shall  be  laied  out 

5  It  is  also  agreed  upon  that  mr  Brian   Pendilton  is  made 
.  .  .  for  our  Depeuty  unto  the  next  generall  courte  a  .  .  shipe 
and  to  have  power  granted   unto  him  .  .  .  under  the  Consta- 
buls  hand.  [14] 

6  It  is  lickwise  agreed   upon  that  mr  Briane  Pendilton  :  mr 
Richard  Cutte,  and  Renald  ffernald  :  are  Requested  to  confer 
with   our  naybors  of  Douer  and  kittree  about  sendinge  unto 
the  generall  courte  about  forttifyinge  the  Riuer  for  our  defence 

7  It  was  farther  ordered  that  Robert  Pudington  :  with  : 
Philipe  Lewis  :  or  sum  other  is  to  serch  out  the  nearist  part,  to 
cut  out  a  hey  way.  to  meet  that  that  our  naybors  of  hamptone 
haue  made 

8  The  aboue  named  Touns  men  are  at  the  next  fitt  time  to 
lay  out  the  land  unto  the  peopell  of  the  Sandy  beach  vid.  unto 
William   Berry.   Anthony  Brakit.   Thomas  Sevy  francis  Rand 
and  James  Johnson 

1653  Toune  meetinge  .  5th  (10) 

At  a  publicke  Town  mettinge  hild  the  5th  of  Desember  1653 

1  It  is  generally  agreed  upon  that  from  hensforth  the  min- 
isters wagis  shall  be  paied,  by  way  of  Ratt  of  the  visabull  estats: 
the  Invoys  shall  be  taken  within  two  months  after  the  dat 
hearof 

2  It  is  farther  ordered  yt  the  plains  shall  be  laied  out  at  the 
first  opertunitie  by  theas  men  under  named  vid.  mr  Richard 


Portsmouth  Records  23 

Cut:  Renald  Fernald  :  Thomas  Walford  and  :  William  Cotton: 
and  what  theas  men  shall  doe  in  this  matter  acording  unto 
thear  best  skille.  shall  not  herafter  be  questioned  but  shall 
stand  ferm  and  good 

3  It  is  generally  agreed  and  grantd  unto   Robert  Puding- 
ton,  yt  he  shall  haue  on  hundred  ackers  of  land  ajoyning  unto 
his  house  :  leaving  a  hey  way  :  conuenent  for  cattell  to  goe  to 
feed  in  :  the  which  land  shall  be  meseured  by  the  befor  named 
men  at  the  next  conuenent  time 

4  It  is  granted  unto  Walter  neall  a  lot  of  eaight  ackers  to 
his  house  upon  the  neck  of  land  by  winacont  Riuer  commonly 
called  John  heards  necke. 

BRIAN  PENDLETON  RICH  CUTT  RENALD  FERNALD 

[5]  It  was  farther  ordered  that  the  plains  next  unto  goodman 
pudingtons  should  be  laied  out  acordinge  to  the  form  follow- 
inge,  the  first  squardron.  is  to  begine  at  the  southeaste  corner 
of  the  sayd  plaine  and  soe  to  take  the  cours  of  the  sune  leauing 
a  hey  way  betwen  the  fower  [squa]drons,  to  Rune  diu  north- 
weste  and  southeaste  [15] 


The  first  squadron  by  lott 
the  first  is 
acers 

The  third  squadron,  begin 
at  the  norther  co[rner]  of  the 
sayd  plaine  and  to  con[tinue] 

i.  John.  Sherborn 

10 

easterly 

z.  William.  Hame 

16/3 

acers 

3.  mr  Pendilton 

10 

i.  William.  Brockins 

3/3 

4.  William  sevy 

1  6/3 

2.  Henry.  Sherborn 

1  6/3 

5.  Anthony  Brakit 

10 

3.  George.  Walton 

5 

6.  Jerimiha.  Walford 

6/3 

4.  Thomas.  Sevy 

3/3 

7.  John  Jackson 

3/3 

5.  Thomas.  Peuerlly 

6/3 

The  second  squadron 

is 

6.  Roberte.  Mastell 

3/3 

i.  Thomas  Walford 

7  harculis.  humpkins 

16/3 

2.  Richard.  Sayward 

3/3 

8.  William.  Cotton 

6/3 

3.  Richard.  Commins 

15 

9.  Captin.  Champernon 

1  6/3 

4.  James.  Johnson 

15 

10.  francis  Trikee 

3/3 

5.  Anthony.  Ellins 

8/3 

ii.  John.  Jones 

i3/ 

6.  Alix  :  Bacheller 

3/3 

The  fourth  squadron 

7.  Edward  Barton 

6/3 

i.  Walter  Abbit 

10 

8.  John.  Webster 

5 

2.  Olliuer.  Triminges 

3/ 

9.  Rendald.  ffernald 

1  6/3 

3.  mr  Leadder 

15 

10.  John,  moysis 

5 

4.  William  Berry 

10 

24  Portsmouth  Records 


acers 

upon  the  souther  sid  of  the        5.  mr  Ambris  Lann  S/3 

hey  way                                               6.  John  Humpkins  3^ 

7  mr  massons  hous  5 

8.  John  Wotton  6^3 

9.  Nicholis  Row  16^ 
10.  John  Pickring  i6J/3 
n.  the  widow  mansfield 


6  Whearas  thear  was  formerly  granted  unto,  mr  Richard 
Cut  ;  a  lote  to  extend  from  his  marsh,  lyinge  at  the  caster 
corner  of  the  fresh  marsh  ;  unto  the  next  freshet,  bellow  the 
fall,  not  spesefiing  what  quantity  it  should  bee,  it  is  this  day 
granted  :  that  the  sayd  Lott  shall  amounte  unto  on  hundred 
acers  ;  and  to  take  its  begining  from  the  caster  eand  of  the 
sayd  fresh  marsh  ;  from  the  alders  upon  the  souther  sid  of  the 
brooke,  and  to  extend  from  the  sayd  alders  ;  east  and  by 
north,  unto  a  littell  guter  between  the  fall,  and  the  common 
landing  at  the  cart  path,  upon  the  norther,  sid  of  the  sayd 
path,  and  from  the  poynte  ouer  againste  the  said  guter,  to  ex- 
tend along  the  norther  sid  of  the  creeke.  55,  poll  unto  a  littell 
guter.  freshitt  below  the  fall  :  between  the  befor  named  east 
eand  of  the  fresh  marsh,  and  guter.  mr  Richard  Cut  to  leave 
a  hey  way  for  catell  ouer  the  brooke  .  .  former  ffeeding,  up  on 
the  north  side  ;  the  sayd  [way]  is  to  be  left  six  poll  broud  if 
need  Requier 

[16] 

This  day  it  is  aproued  of  by  the  toune  that  what  was  don 
by  mr  Richard  Cut,  Renald  ffernald  and  John  Sherborn  towns 
men  about  laying  out  lotts  in  the  fresh  marsh  unto  John  Pick- 
ringe.  mr  Richard  Cutt.  william  Cotton.  Walter  Abbit  Renald 
ffernald.  francis  Rand.  &  John  Jones  &  the  Rest  yt  wear  laid 
out  acording  unto  the  form  following  in  march  the.  i5th.  1653 

1  goodman  hams  marsh  doth  extend  from  the  freshit  upon 
the  caster  sid   of  the  parsonage  marsh  easterly  full  thirty  poll 
up  unto  the  wood  side  —  to  the  northward  two  and  twenty  poll, 
and  from  the  wood  sid  southward  thirty  poll,  as  it  is  marked  : 
so  that  his  lott  is  30.  poll  deepe  &  22  poll  broud 

2  John  Pickrings  lott  doth  extend  from  william  hames  north- 
ward fiufty  flue  poll,  acording  unto  the  bredth  of  goodman 
hams,  and  thirty  poll  easterly  and  westerly  as  it  is  laied  out 
and  marked. 


Portsmouth  Records  25 

•  3  mr  Richard  Cuts  his  lote  of  medow  Doth  begine  next  nor 
weste  of  the  parsonage  lott  upon  the  nor  westen  sid  of  the 
broouke  thirty  polls  from  the  woodesside  along  the  saied 
broouke  eastward  short  of  a  litell.  hill  of  birchen  trees  and 
from  thence  it  doth  extend  northward  fiuty  fiue  polls  and  at 
fiuty  polls  eand  thirty  polls  to  the  wood  westerly  as  it  is  laied 
out  and  marked 

4  william  Cottons  lott  doth  begine  :  from  mr  Richard  Cuts 
east  by  north  corner  of  his  lott,  and  doth  extend  towards  good- 
man  pickrings  west  by  south  corner,  ten  poll  and  at  ten  polls 
bredth  it  "doth  extend  north  ward  as  mr  Cuts  doth  upon  the 
said  northerly  line  untell  it  com  unto  the  upland  or  woodsside 
bearing  the  said  bredth  10  poll 

[5]  waiter  Abbits  lott  doth  extend  upon  the  same  line  from 
mr  Cuts,  unto  John  pickrings  ward  eaight  polls,  and  north- 
ward as  william  Cotton  doth  untell  it  com  up  unto  the  upland 
or  woodside  bearing  eaight  polls  bre<}th 

[6]  Renald  ffernalds  lot  is  next  unto  waiter  Abbits  six  polls 
easterly  and  to  cary  the  same  bredth  unto  [th]e  norther  extenth 
to  the  upland  as  waiter  Abbit  and  [Wil]liam  Cotton  doe 

[17] 

7  francis   Rands  or  John   humpkins  lot  doth  extend  to  the 
eastward  as  Renald  Fernald  doth,  fouer  poll  and  caryeth  the 
same  bredth  to  the  norther  upland  as  the  befor  named  william 
Cotton  and  waiter  Abbit  do. 

8  John  Jones  doth  head  upon  the  same   line  easterly  fouer 
polls,  and  doth  cary  the  same  bredth  northward  to  the  woods 
sid.  vid.  4  polls  unto  the  upland  as  william  Cotton,  waiter  Ab- 
bit Renald  ffernald  and  ffrancis  Rand  doe 

9  John  Webster  is  to  haue  the  marsh  that  liethe  betwin 
goodman  hames  lott  and  the  parssonage  lott  the  which  is  com- 
passed with  a  gutter  next  unto  goodman  hames  and  the  brouk 
next  unto  the  parssonage,  and  upon  the  norther  sid,  the  heads 
of  william  Cotton,  Walter  abbits,  Renald  ffernald,  ffrancis  Rand  , 
and  John  Jqnes  is.    lotts  do  begin  and  extend  northerly  as  is 
before  saied. 

10  The  persons  befor  named  except  John  pickring  wer  all 
present  at  the  time  at  meseuring  the  sayd  lotts,  and  wear  there- 
with contented. 

march  the  iyth  1653.  thear  was  granted  at  the  Sandy  Beach 
vid  :  unto  James  Johnson  of  medow   20.  ackers  unto  Olliuer 
Trimmings  04.  ackers  unto  Thomas  Sevy  of  medow  08.  ackers 
4n 


26  Portsmouth  Records 

and  upland  08.  ackers  unto  William  Berry  of  medow  unto  his 
ould  hous  that  is  by  william  Sevys  06.  ackers  unto  Anthony 
Brakit  upland  30.  ackers  adjoyninge  unto  his  hous.  and  of 
medow  20  ackers  mor  unto  William  Berry  from  the  littell  creek 
next  unto  Goodman  Brakits  so  much  as  sh[all]  amount  unto 
ten  ackers  of  medow  bet[ween]  the  sayd  creke  and  the  creeks 
mouth  upon  the  south  sid  thearof,  and  4  ackers  of  .  .  whear  he 
hath  alredy  ploued  upon  the  north  sid  of  the  creeke,  mor  up- 
land to  ajoyn  u[nto]  his  house  upon  the  necke  26,  ackers 

unto  francis  Rands,  medow.  08.  ackers  [and]  upland  20  ackers 
for  a  lotte. 

at  the  fresh  medow  aboue  goodman  Sevys  was  also  [granted] 
this  day  march  the  i;th  1653  unto  Henry  Sherborn  of  medow 
1 6  ackers 

after  at  an  other  meetting  was  grant[ed]  4  ackers  ajoyning 
unto  the  sayd.  16. 

unto  John  Sherborn  in  the  sayd  medow  granted  12  ackers 

At  the  sand  beach  granted  unto  John  Sherborn  grant,  the. 
20.  of  May.  1651  three  ack[ers] 

[18] 

When  the  lots  befor  named  at  the  Sandy  Beach  granted  be- 
ing laied  out.  the  ouer  plus  is  to  be  Distribeuted  unto  waiter, 
abbit.  william.  Cotton,  nicholis.  Row  John.  Jackson  and  Robert 
mustell.  3  acers  apese  if  it  be  thear  to  be  had 

Thease  lands  before  specified  both  upland  &  medow  beinge 
layd  out  &  the  plaine  not  yet  layde  oute  :  wee  hose  names  are 
underwritten  doe  thise.  30.  of  January  1653  Confirme 

BRIAN  PENDLETON  RICHARD  CUT  RENALD  FERNALD  JOHN 
SHERBUERN 

At  a  towne  meeting  hild  the  30.  of  January  1653 

1  It  is  ordered  that  mr  Pendelton  and  John  Sherborn  are  to 
take  a  not  of  the  visabull  estats   of  the  Inhabitants  blow — and 
mr  Richard  Cut  and  Renald  ffernald   are  to  take  nottis  of  the 
stats  of  the   Inhabitants  aboue  the  which  is  to  be  don  by  the 
midell  of  the  next  month 

2  It  is  granted  unto  :  nicholis  Row:  that  he  may  mow  in  the 
fresh  marsh  ajouning  unto  the  plains,  whear  goodman  Walford 
and  goodman   Pudington   and  thomas  peuerly  haue  formerly 
mowed  prouided  he  do  not  mow  what  was  formerly  cleared  by 
them  the  said  marsh  is  to  be  laid  out  at  the  next  opertunity 


Portsmouth  Records  27 

[3]  It  is  farther  granted  that  :  harcullus  Humpkins  :  is  to 
have  a  lott  in  the  fresh  marsh  creeke  next  unto  :  mr  Richard 
Cut  :  upon  the  south  sid  of  the  said  creeke,  and  upon  the  west 
side  of  the  hey  way  from  the  meettinge  house,  the  which  lott  is 
to  be  three  ackers  into  the  three  ackers  the  poynt  next  west  is 
to  bee  incleuded. 

[4]  It  is  granted  unto  :  mr  John  Cut  :  a  lott  next  unto  : 
harcullus  humpkins  :  westward  from  the  said  poynt.  up  unto 
the  next  fresh  gutter  upon  the  said  side  the  sayd  two  lotts.  are 
to  extend  from  the  creek  sid  backe  unto  the  hey  way  :  which 
is  to  be  laied  out  at  the  next  conuenent  time  by  :  mr  Richard 
Cut  :  harckulus  humpkins  :  John  Webster :  and  Renald  ffer- 
nald. 

[5]  It  is  farther  granted  unto  mr  John  Cutt  in  the  fresh 
marsh  or  whear  he  can  find  it,  not  yeat  mad  yous  of  ten 
ackers  of  medow 

[6  It]  is  granted  unto  Renald  ffurnald  in  the  said  fresh  marsh 
creek  [upo]n  the  poynt  next  west  of  goodman  Seward,  twelve 
ackers  of  land. 

BRIAN  PENDLETON  RICHARD  CUTT  RENALD  FERNALD  JOHN 
SHERBUERNE 

[19] 

At  a  generall  towne  mettinge  hild  the  i4th  of  march  1654 

It  is  ordered  by  the  common  consent  that  theas  men  under 
named  are  apoynted  to  lay  out  the  hey  waye  by  goodman  Pud- 
intons  to  the  plains,  vidi.  Captin  Champernon.  John  Pickring. 
Samouel  hains  Renald  ffernald 

2  It  is  ordred  by  the  towne  the  men  whos  times  are  expired 
at  this  psent  haue  pouer  giuen  them  to  make  the  Ratte  for  the 
ministers  wagis.  the  which  is  to  be  don  by  this  day  sen  night. 

3  It  is  granted  unto  houbert  Mattean,  a  lott  of  eaight  ackers 
in  the  fresh  marsh  creke  next  eastward  of  :  mr  Richard  Cute  : 
upon  the  north  west  sid  of  the  said  creke 

BRIAN  PENDLETON  RICHARD  CUTT  RENALD  FERNALD 
SAMUEL  HAINES  JOHN  SHERBUERN 

It  was  &  is  this  day  generally  agreed  upon  that  the  wine 
sellers  shall  all  pay  for  thear  drawinge  of  wine  acordinge  unto 
the  orders  formerly  mad.  by  the  sellect  men,  and  the  sellect  men 
are  hearby  ordered  that  they  forth  with,  yous  mens  for  the 
proceuringe  of  the  same,  for  the  yous  of  the  Towne 

At  a  generall  town  meeting  held  the.  27th.  of  march  i6[54] 


28  Portsmouth  Records 

1  John  Jackson  and  \_George  Walton  erased]  mr  Bacheler 
are  chosen  constabulls  for  the  next  year  inseuing.     This  ex- 
change was  don  by  the  Towns  men  befor  the  breaking  up  of 
the  meeting 

2  The  town  hane  chosen  for  comishoners  to  be  presented 
unto  the  next  Court,  vid.  mr  Brian  Pendilton  mr  henry  sher- 
born.  mr  Richard  Tucker 

3  The   town  haue  lickwis  chosen   for  their  selecktmen  for 
this  year  insuinge  mr  Brian  Pendi[lton]  Captin  Champernoun 
mr  Richard  Tucker.  John  Pickling]  and  William  Cotton  and 
are  to  haue  the  like  power  th[at]  the  touns  men  haue  had 
formerly  in  eauery  poynt  [and]  artickell 

Witness  this  our  hands  as  folloeth.  RENALD  FERNALD  in 
t[he  behalf]  of  the  rest  who  is  [to  keep  in]  custie  this  Towne 
Book  and  to  haue  for  his  pains  as  formerly  was  granted 

monthe  27.   1654  [20] 

4  the  toun  hau  apoynted  for  the  ordring  the  seats  in  the 
meeting  house  vid.  mr  Richard.  Cutt,  John  pickringe,  the  which 
is  to  be  don,  at  the  towns  charge  and  with  all  expedision  that 
may  be 

5  it  is  farther  agreed  upon,  that  James  Johnson,  shall  acoumpt 
with  the  tresurer,  and  for  what  was  diu  befor  this  day  the  on 
half  is  to  be  deducted  and  Retorned  unto  him.  and  hensforth 
he  is  to  acoumpt  with  the  treseur  acording  unto  former  order 
to  giu  in  acoumpt  of  what  win  he  shall  take  in  for  sayll 

•BRIAN  PENDLETON 

6  mr  Brian  Pendilton  is  chosen  treseror  for  this  year  by  the 
common  consent 

RICHARD  TUCKER  WILLIAM  x  COTTONS  mark  JOHN  x  PICK- 
RINGS  mark 

1  It  is  this  day  the    i7th  :  of   Aprill  54  :  ordered    &   con- 
sented to  by  the  Select  men  that  the  Treasurer  mr  Bryan  Pen- 
dleton  aboue  specified  shall  haue  full  power  to  sue  for  &  re- 
cover the  Rates  of  the  towne,  from  all  such  men  as  shall  not 
pay  the  same  upon  a  lawfull  demand 

2  It  is  ordered  this  day  that  :  mr  Richard  Cut :  John  Pick- 
ring  and  Thomas  walford  are  to  place  the  Inhabitants  in  thear 
seats  in  the  meeting  houss.  the  which  is  to  be  don  at  thear  best 
discretions 

3  This  day  mr  henry  sherborn  tresurer  hath  giuen  in  acoumpt 
of  his  year  past  and  is  exepted  of 

***-  [4]  It  is  farther  ordred :  that  hensforth  thear  shall  be  granted 


Portsmouth  Records  29 

to  each  house  lott  full  eaight.  ackers,  to  such  as  the  town  shall 
except  of.  to  habitation 

[5]  It  is  granted  unto  ffrancis  drake  :  a  housse  lott  upon  the 
poynt  within  Roger  knights  Illand  :  at  the  mouth  of  the  fresh 
marsh  creeke 

BRIAN  PENDLETON  JOHN  :  PICKERING  WILLIAM  :  GOTTEN 
RICHARD  :  TUCKER  [2l] 

The  twelve  ackers  of  land  belonging  unto  the  meeting  house 
doth  take  its  begining  from  the  great  pine  by  the  sayd  house 
west  and  by  south  towards  :  goodman  humpkins.  his  hous 
which  he  bought  of  Roger  knight,  full :  30:  polls  :  from  the  end 
of  the  sayed  :  30  :  polls  up  the  hill  :  north  &  by  west-full :  56  : 
poll:  from  the  sayd  :  56  :  polls  end,  diu  east  :  46  :  unto  a  forked 
pine  marked  with  three  nochis.  from  the  said  forked  pine  : 
south  &  by  east  full :  44  :  polls  unto  the  befor  menshoned  great 
pine 

John  websters  lot  doth  begin  :  at  the  north  and  by  east  cor- 
ner of  the  parsonag  lott  :  leaving  a  way,  and  doth  extend 
towards  the  springe  :  north  &  by  east :  22  poll  :  from  the  said: 
22  :  pols  end  towards  :  mr:  Cuts,  diu  northwest  and  by  north: 
15  :  poll,  unto  Mr  Cuts  his  fence  :  from  the  sayd  end  of  Mr 
Cuts  fence  :  64  :  polls,  and  at  the  sayd  :  64  :  polls  end  it  doth 
extend  diu  east  as  the  parsonage  land  doth  156:  poll,  leaving 
a  way  between  the  parsonage  ground  &  his 

Mr  Richard  Cutt:  his  lot  doth  extend  from.  John  Webster 
by  the  watter  sid:  to  mr  Rains  his  hous:  full:  60:  poll:  and 
from  the  sayd  end  of  John  websters  fence,  southwest  and 
by  west:  64  poll:  as  John  websters  doth  to  a  pin  then  marked 
by  mr  Brian.  Pendilton:  and  from  the  sayd  marked  pin:  unto 
the  fresh  marsh  creeke:  leaving  a  way  be  betwixt:  Harculus 
Humpkins:  and  mr  Richard  Cuts  lotts  from  the  sayd  fresh 
marsh  creek. 

theas  lots  aboue  named,  wear  layd  out  by  order  of  the  select 
men.  the  23.  of  September:  1653 

At  a  publiqu  Town  meetinge  hild  the:  12:  of  September: 
1663  granted  unto  Samuell  Hains  ten  ackers  of  land  at  the 
bottom  of  the  great  Bay.  ouer  againste  Captin.  Champernuns. 
so  that  it  be  not  upon  the  Captins  land — taken  out  of  the  ould 
book.  •--. 

it  was  granted  unto  william  urin,  a  lott  upon  the  neck  of 
land  between  goodman  Jacksons  and  william  Cotton:  with  con- 
venient la  . 


30  Portsmouth  Records 

At  a  publiqu  Town  metting  hild  the  :  5th.  of  June  1654 : 

1  It  is  granted  unto  Mathew  Hame  a  lott  in  the  coue  next 
unto  his  father  now  duelling  house,  to  be  laid  out  at  the  next 
convenent  time 

2  John  Jackson  is  chosen  to  be  clark  of  the  market  by  the 
common  consent  of  the  towne  [22] 

Theas  present  do  witnes  that  I  Robert  Pudington  doe  herby 
acknolidge  and  confese  that  I  have  Rescued  from  Thomas 
Sevy  full  satisfaction  for  all  my  hous  housis  and  land  both  in- 
fensed  and  out  of  fence  which  I  formerly  did  Inhabit  and 
make  yous  of :  next  unto  the  habitation  of  William  Berry  ner 
the  litell  harbor :  &  do  herby  Resign  all  my  Right  and  titell 
for  euer,  unto  the  said  Thomas  Sevy  his  hiers  &  assignis.  in 
witnes  whear  of  I  doe  herunto  sett  my  hand  this  fourth  of  June 
in  the  year  of  our  lord,  on  thousand  six  hundred  &  fluty  &  flue 
witnes  Renald  Fernald  William  Sevy  R.  P 

the  mark  of  Robert 

a  true  coppy  taken  from  the  originall  Pudington 

by  me  RENALD  FERNALD.  [23] 

This  presente  wrightinge  witnesseth  that  whearas  thear  is  a 
condition  fully  concleuded,  betwene  mr  Clemment  Campion  of 
Strabery  Banke  of  the  on  party  :  and  Roger  knight  of  the  sam 
place  of  the  other  party :  That  is  to  say  the  said  Clemment 
Campion,  hath  fully  and  Rally,  deliuered  into  possesion  unto 
the  sayd  Roger  knigh.  the  house  housses  and  lands  thearunto 
belonginge.  which  hath  bine  in  former  time  the  house  housses 
of  mr  francis  Raines,  and  sould  unto  the  sayd  clemente  by 
ffrancis  Raines:  so  longe  as  the  said  Roger  and  his  wiffe  anne 
doth  Hue  or  ether  of  them,  and  in  case  thay  both  die.  befor 
the  sayd  clemente  then  the  said  clemment  campion  is  to  inioy 
the  said  place  as  fully  and  ampully  as  beffore  the  date  hearofe: 
and  likwise  in  case  the  said  clemment  campion,  doth  die  before 
the  said  Roger  and  his  wiffe  anne.  or  ether  of  theme,  then  the 
said  Roger  or  his  wiffe  anne.  the  longest  liuer  of  ether  partie 
to  possess  and  inioy  the  said  plantation  befor  menshoned  for 
euer.  whearunto  wee  haue  both  of  us  sette  our  hands  the  :  23: 
day  of  desember  :  1652 

witnes  Clement  campion 

ffransis  :  champernowne  the  mark  R  of  Roger  knight 

Henry  sherburne 

a  true  coppie  compared  with  the  originall  by  mee 

RENALD  FERNALD 


Portsmouth  ^Records  31 

January  the  :  12:  1652 

know  all  men  by  theas  psense  that  I  Thomas  ffurson  and 
Roger  Knight  are  agreed  for  the  Illand  befour  the  house  of 
master  Clement  Campione.  which  is  called  by  the  name  of  f  ur- 
[sons]  Illand  :  and  I  Roger  Knighte  ame  to  giue  unto  Thomas 
furson  for  the  before  named  Illand  on  whight  and  bl[ack] 
heffer,  and  to  winter  hir,  and  to  giue  Thomas  ffurson  twelue 
shillings.  &  sixpence  the  first  of  Jeun  next  after  the  date  hearof 

witnes.  william  Palmer.  John  webster,  the  younger 

Thomas  furson.  John,  pickring 
compared  with  the  originall  a  true  coppy  by:    RENALD  FER- 

NALD  [24] 

Jane  Drake  the  relict  of  Wm  Berry  with  ye  con  ....  hus- 
band Nath  :  Drake  for  a  valeuable  consideration where- 
with they  are  fully  satisfied  hath  giuen  up  her  thirds  unto  Anto 
Ellins  of  the  land  her  husband  Berry  sold  unto  sd  Ellens  men- 
coned  this  6th  of  December  1670  before  me  ELIAS  STILEMAN 

[25] 

At  a  toune  meeting  hild  at  Strabery  Bank  the  last  of  Jenuary. 
1648 

1  It  is  granted  by  the  common  consent  that  william  Berry 
shall  haue  a  lott  upon  the  neck  of  land  upon  the  south  sid  of 
the  littell  Riuer  at  the  Sandie  beach  : 

2  It  is  ordered  by  the  common  consent  that  Robert  puding- 
ton  is  to  haue  a  lott  upon  the  north  side  of  the  littell  Riuer  at 
the  Sandie  beach  : 

3  It  was  also  granted  unto  Robert  Dauis  by  the  common  con- 
sent a  lotte  in   Sagomors  creeke    next    poynt  west   of   John 
moysis: 

4  It  is  likewise  granted  Edward  Bartton  that  no  man  shall 
sit  doune  betwen  him  and  John  Crouders:  Raylls 

At  a  metting  hild  the  :  n  :  of  June  :  1649: 

This  day  Thomas  Williams  hath  Resigned  all  his  Right  and 
titell  unto  Clampering  Illand,  into  the  hands  of  Richard  kinge. 
and  what  marshis  the  toun  befor  the  dat  hearof  had  granted 
unto  hime: 

At  a  metting  hild  the  :  13  :  of  Augost  :  1649  : 

It  was  granted  by  the  common  consent  that  Anthony  Brakitt 
shall  haue  a  lott  betwen  Robert  Pudington  and  william  Berry, 


32  Portsmouth  Records 

at  the  head  of  the  Sandie  beach  fresh  Riuer  at  the  wester  branch 
tharof  : 

At  a  meeting  hild  the  .  22  :  of  October  :  1649  : 
It  is  acknoliged  this  day  by  Thomas  walford  that  hee  hath 
freelly  giuen  all  his  Right  and  tittell  [which]  he  hath  inioyed 
upon  the  great  Illand  unto  his  sonne  Jerimy  walford  :  exepting 
what  former[ly  he]  hath  giuen  unto  allixsander  Jones  :   . 

At  a  generall  meeting  hild  the  :  7  of  aprell  :  1651  : 

It  was  granted  this  meetinge  that  Anthony  Ellins  ha[ve] 
giuen  unto  hime  the  Illand  betwen  John  wottons  and  Clamper- 
ing  Illand  ; 

[273 

At  a  Towne  meetting  hild  the  :  20  :  of  October  :  1651  : 

It  is  gennerally  agreed  upon  that  John  Jons  Shall  haue 
twenty  shillings  for  the  year  for  making  clean  the  mettinge 
hose 

Be  it  knowne  unto  all  men  by  theas  presents  that  I  Roger 
knight  of  Strabery  banke  .  haue  granted,  bargained  &  sould 
unto  Hirculus  Humpkins  a  plantation  lyinge  in  Strabery  banke 
with  all  Right  titells  and  privilidgis  and  possessions,  that  I 
the  sayd  Roger  Knight  haue  belonginge  unto  the  sayd  planta- 
tion, for  the  sume  of  three  score  and  ten  pounds  of  good  and 
lawfull  mony  of  niue  England,  ten  pound  to  be  paied  the 
twentieth  day  of  nouember,  next  insuinge  the  date  hearof,  and 
ten  pounds  the  :  2oth  :  of  the  next  insuinge  Jeune,  and  twenty 
pounds  to  be  paied  the  next  springe  sesone  after  the  date  hearof 
which  will  bee  :  1653  :  and  thirty  pound  the  next  Rock,  sesone 
after  the  former  date  (153)  and  hear  unto  I  haue  inter  chan- 
gabull  put  my  hand  the  eaightenth  of  the  seventh  month  : 
1652  :  the  mark  R  of  Roger  Knight 

witnes  Huphry  Humber  the  mark  HH  of  Harculus 

Hum[pkins] 

A  triue  coppie  taken  from  the  origiaall 

by  mee  RENALD  FERNALD  [29] 

At  a  publike  toun  meeting  hild  the  :  8th  :  of  March  [1655] 

i  the  Inhabitants  haue  chosen  this  day  for   thear   present 

select  Towns  men  &:  untell  others  be  chosen  :  vidi   ;  Thomas. 


Portsmouth  Records  33 

walford  :  Anthony.  Brakite  :  William  Sevy  :  Jams  Johnson 
John  Webster  :  and  theas  men  aboue  named  haue  the  same 
power  in  eaury  poynt  as  the  former  towns  men  had  in  witnes 
whear  of  we  do  hear  unto  set  our  hands 

2  It  is  ordered  by  the  comon  consent  that  theas  three  men 
under  named  haue  power  to  make  choys  of  a  place  to  set  up  a 
house  for  the  minister  or  ministers  youes  with  all  conueninsy 
for  euer  :  vid.     John  pickringe  .  Thomas  walford,  and  Robert 
Pudington,  and  whatsoeuer  theas  three  men  shall  doe  in  this 
mater  shall  be  Recordid,  and  stand  firm  as  the  acte  of  the  wholl 
towne  for  euer  and  the  sayd  three  men  are  to  signe  thear  acte 
under  thear  hands 

3  It  is  farther  granted  unto  mr  Brian  Pendilton  so  much  land 
as  lieth  disused  between  the  ould  Docters  fild  and  the  water  sid 
leauinge  fouer  polls  for  a  way  between  goodman  mustells  fence 
and  the  sayd  land  upon  the  great.  Illand 

4  It  is  farther  granted  unto  hirculus  humpkins  that  he  shall 
hau  a  lott  upon  the  great  Illand  about  forty  foot  squar  to  set 
up  a  stor  hous  so  that  it  bee  not  what  belongeth  to  any  other 
person 

[5]  It  is  farther  ordered  that  theas  three  under  named  hau 
full  power  to  lay  out  all  the  land  medow  formerly  granted  unto 
the  inhabitants  vid  Thomas  walford  Robert  Pudington  &  Ren- 
aid  ffernald  theas  lands  are  to  be  laid  out  after  the  ministers 
land  is  laid  out  acording  unto  the  order  abou  wrighting 

BRIAN  PENDLETON  RICH  CUTT  RENALD  FERNALD  in  the 
behalf  of  the  rest.  [30] 

by  verue  of  a  Towne  grant  &  order  at  a  publique  meetinge 
hild  the.  10:  of  July.  (55)  wee  whos  nams  are  under  wrighten 
have  mesured  as  followeth:  vid  .  unto. 

1  waiter   Nealle  this   .  22th  of  July.  1655:   his  home  Lott 
doth  extend  from  goodman  hayins  his  house  due  north  and 
by  east  unto  winicont  Riuer.  leaning  a  way  for  the  Captin 
Champernoune  betuene  his  housses  .  whear  he  formerly  wente 

2  goodman  Hayns  his  home  lotte  beinge  mesured  is  on  hun- 
dred sixty  and  one.  polls  aboute  which  is  by  oure  estemation. 
tene  ackers 

3  Capt.  Champernouns  Lotte  doth  extend  from  the  marsh 
within   his  fence    next  winicont  Riuer:  245:  polls  suth   east, 
and  at  the  end  of  the  sayd  line  to  extend  south  west  the  same 
distance:  vid:  245  polls,  and  at  the  sayd  south  west  lins  end 
to  extend  north  west  the  same  distance  and  so  to  finish  the 

5n 


34  Portsmouth  Records 

same  square,  which  is  by  ouer  estimatione  the  full  complement 
granted  unto  the  said  Captin.  vid.  300:  ackers,  the  Cptin  is 
to  allowe  the  waye  through  the  sayd  lott  to  be  seuen  pols 
wide  and  to  be  commone  unto  his  naighbors 

4  goodman  drakes  lott  doth  Rune  as  the  captins  Lotte  doth: 
vid.  :  40.  poll  northeast  and  south  west,  and  :  24  :  polls  south 
east  and  north  west  :  also  goodman  drake  is  to  haue  a  small 
parsill  of  Land  at  the  ester  end  of  the  Captins  out  lotte.  to  make 
up  what  is  wantinge  of  his  Lotte  next  unto  it. 

5  Seuen  polls  being  lefte  for  Hampton  way  next  unto  good- 
man Drake.     Walter  Nealls  lotte  doth  extend  191:  poll  square 
acordinge  unto  the  line  befor   spesified  :  vid  :  south  east  and 
north  west,   and  north  east  &  south  west:  which  .91  poll  . 
squar  is  by  our  estemation  his  complement  of  ;  50  :  ackers  . 
alowed  unto  him  by  the  towne. 

.  6  Richard  Sawards  lote  at  the  mouth  of  the  fresh  marsh 
creeke  doth  begine  at  the  head  of  the  littell  creeke  next  east- 
erly of  Renald  ffernalds  necke  of  land,  ouer  against  the  wester 
poynt  of  Campions  necke  and  doth  extend,  north  easterly  to 
the  next  freshit  so  that  it  doth  incompass  the  Raged  necke  of 
land  and  doth  finish  whear  it  begane  .  vid  :  at  the  head  of  the 
said  creke  next  Renald  ffernald  and  the  sayd  Richard  Sawards 
is  to  satisfie  goodman  drake  for  whatt  pains  he  hath  been  at 
upon  the  sayd  necke 

Confermed  by  the  Selecte  men  the  2oth  .  of  march  .  1656  vid 
Thomas,  walford  william.  seavey  Anthony :  Brackit  Jams 
Johnson,  &  John  Webster 

[31] 

At  a  publique  metting  hild  the  eleventh  of  aprill.  1655  : 

1  It  is  generally  concluded  and  agreed  upon  that  mr  Brian 
Pendilton  and  John  pickring  haue  full  power  to  meet  with  the 
peopell  of  hmpton  to  confer  and  agree  if  they  see  caus  with 
them  about  the  bounds  of  our  towne  and  also  with  Douer 

2  Mr  Richard  Commins  is  this  day  chosen  suruayer  of  the 
hey  ways 

3  The  Inhabitants  doe  generally  acknolidge  that  they  are  wil- 
ling that  mr  Browne  Should  continue  thear  minister  as  he  hath 
bin,  if  he  bee  so  plesed. 

WILLIAM  SEAUEY  THOMAS  WALFORD  JAMES  JOHNSON  JOHN 
WEBSTER 

At  a  publike  town  meeting  hild  the  .  loth,  of  Jully  :  1655  : 


35 


1  It  is  generally  agreed  upon  and  granted  unto  Captine 
Champernoun.  three   hundred   acers   of  upland  and  medow 
ajoyning  unto  his  now  dwelling  house  at  grenland  for  a  farm, 
and  the  sayd  land  is  to  be  bounded  out  at  the  first  oportunity 
after  .  what  hath  bin  formerly  granted  is  mesured  and  Laid  out 

2  It  is  farther  granted  unto  waiter  neall  for  an  out  Lot  fiuty 
acres  of  Land  to  be  laid  out  by  the  Captins  Lott  so  granted 

3  It  is  granted  unto  fransis  drake  a  Lott  [of  acers]  to  Joyn 
unto  waiter  nealls  out  lott  near  winicont  Riuer  at  the  botom  of 
the  great  bay 

4  It  is  generally  agreed  upon  that  theas  three  men  under 
named  are  to  lay  out  all  the  lands  and     medow  formerly 
gr[anted]  vid.  Thomas  walford .  Richard.  Tucker:  &    Renald 
ffernald  and  thear  Land  is  first  to  be  mesured  that  first  Doe 
giue  satisfaction  unto  mr  Brown  for  what  is  his  Due  befor  this 
day 

[32] 
Jully  the  loth  :  1655 

5  It  is  ordered  that  mr  Brown  our  minnister  is  to  giu  an 
acoumpt  of  what  is  his  diu  from  the  inhabitants  before  this  day. 
and  the  Selecet  men  are  to  giu  order  unto  the  Constabuls  to 
make  a  legall  Demand  and  in  case  of  non  pament  at  the  time 
apoyrited  by  the  Select  men  then  pouer  is  to  be  giuen  to  the 
Constabuls  to  Distrain  upon  the  goods  of  such  as  shall  be  slak 
in  payment  as  aforsayd 

WILLIAM  SEAVEY  THOMAS.  V  WALFORD  his  marke  ANTHONY. 
A  BRAKIT  his  marke 

At  a  town  meeting  hild  the  :  i4th  :  of  August  :  1655 

[The  words  italicised  have  a  line  drawn  through.    The  entry  is  evidently  the 
beginning  of  a  record  that  was  not  followed  up.] 

At  a  publick  Towne  metting  hild  in  feberary.  1655 
It  is  this  day  granted  unto  John  pickringe  that  hee  shall 
haue  the  land  lying  betwen  swadens  creek  and  pincombs  creek 
in  the  great  bay  so  that  it  bee  no  mans  former  Right  or  prop- 
erity.  the  sayd  land  is  to  extend  into  the  swamp  and  no  far- 
ther 

JOHN  WEBSTER  ANTHONY  A  BRAiKiT  his  marke  THOMAS  M 
WALFORD  his  marke  JAMES  I  JOHNSON  his  mark  WILLIAM 
SEAVEY 

[33] 


36  Portsmouth  Records 

Art  a  Toune  meeting  hild  the  :  20  :  of  march  1656 

1  It  is  granted  unto  Anthony  Brkit  that  hee  shall  have  fifty 
acers  of  land  mor  then  his  former  grant  to  ajoyn  unto  his  hous 
to  lye  in  such  a  form  as  it  may  inclos  his  marsh — so  that  it  be 
not  in  any  mans  former  grant 

2  It  is  ordered  that  Jams  Johnson  .  William  Seuvey  and  An- 
thony Brakit .  shall  end  the  ditierense  between.  Edward  Barton. 
&.  Nicholis  Row  :  conserning  ther  land  in  differ [ence] 

3  It  is  farther  ordered  that  the  sayd  men  shall  have  power 
to  lay  out  unto  fransis  Rand  fouer  ackers  of  marsh  at  the  Sandy 
Beach  which  was  formerlv  granted  unto  him  .  also  unto  olliuer 
Trimmings  foure  ackers  of  marsh  at  the  sayd  Sandy  Beach 
formerly  granted 

4  It  is  granted  unto  Thomas  walford  two  ackers  of  land  upon 
the  great  Illand  so  that  it  bee  not  upon  any  mans  former  Right 
or  properiety 

5  It  is  granted  that  no  man  shall  take  mony  for  ferry  age 
from  goodman  sherborns  neck  to  the  great  Illand  .  except 
Allixsand  Bacheler.  nor  from  goodman  Johnson 

6  It  is  also  granted  unto  John  Webster  on  acker  of  land 
upon  the  great  Hand  ajoyning  unto  his  last  house  or  frame 
near  unto  forte  poynt  in  the  swampe 

WILLIAM  SEAVEY  THOMAS  M  WALFORD  is  mark  JAMES  F. 
JOHNSON  his  mark  ANTHONI  A  BRAKIT  his  mark  JOHN 
WEBSTER 

Wee  the  Select  Towns  men  of  the  town  of  Portsmouth  whos 
names  are  under  wrighton.  do  conferm  &  grante  unto  John 
Jackson  and  his  hirs  and  assignes  for  euer.  the  houses  and 
land  and  the  Hand  which  was  formerly  possesed  by  John 
Crowder  : 

Dated  this  :  2oth.  of  march  :  1656 

a  tru  coppy  by  me  RENALD  FERNALD 

Signed  by  ...  william:  Sevy  John,  webster  Jams.  Johnson 
Thomas,  walford  Anthony.  Brakit  [34] 

At  a  publique  Towne  mettenge  hild  the:  2yth  :  1656  of  march 
The  Town  haue  this  day  chosen  for  thear  sellect  men  for  the 
year  insuing  and  untell  others  be  chosen  theas.  men  whos 
nams  are  under  wrighten.  vidilisit  Richard  Commins.  Jams 
Johnson,  mr  Henry  Sherburn  Renald  Fernald  &  John  Jack- 
son, and  wee  do  farther  make  choys  of  nathaniel  drak.  and 
John  Pickringe.  and  wee  whos  nams  are  under  wrighten  in 
the  behalf  of  the  Rest  Do  giue  unto  theas  men  now  chosen  in 


Portsmouth  Records  37 

all  poynts  the  same  power  which  any  Towns  men  hau  had  be- 
for  the  Date  hear  of  in  witnes  whear  of  wee  haue  herunto  set 
our  hands 

JOHN  WEBSTER  The  marke  of  THOMAS  M  WALLFORD  WILT 

LIAM   SEUEVY  ANTHONY.  A  BRAKIT  his  mark  FRAN.  CHAMPER- 

NOWN  WILLIAM  HAM  GEORGE  WALTON  JOHN  JONES  his  mark. 
ANTHONY  ELLINS  FRANCIS  F  D  DRAKE  his  mark  SAMUEL 
HAINES  PHILLIP  LEWIS  JEAMES  L  LEACH  his  mark  WALTER  W 
ABBETT  his  mark  THOMAS  X  SEAVEY  his  mark  MATHW  H  HAM 
his  mark  WALTER  NEALE 

[351 

At  a  meeting  hild  the  i4th  of  Aprell  1656 
This  day  mr  Sherburn  hath  promised  to  entertain  mr  Brown 
John  webster  is  this  day  permitted  to  keep  an  ordinary 
It  is  farther  ordered  that  the  visabull  estats  are  to  be  brought 
in  by  the  first  monday  in  may  next  and  then  to  make  the  Rate 
for  the  year  (55)  for  ministers  wagis  :  wee  are  to  meet  at  Jams 
Johnsons  house 

It  is  farther  granted  that  mr  Richard  Cut  is  to  haue  two 
hundred  ackers  of  land  which  he  hath  purchised  by  a  mor- 
gage  from  mr  Thomas  wannertons  desesed.  prouided  that  the 
sayd  two  hundred  ackers  do  not  pregidis  any  former  Inhabitant 
in  any  other  grant  befor  the  date  hearof 

RENALD  FERNALD  HENRIE  SHERBURNE  JAMS  I  JOHNSON 
his  mark  NATHANILL  DRAKE  JOHN  JACKSON  RICHARD  R  C 
COMMES  his  mark 

At  a  meetinge  hild  the  :  iyth.  of  May  :  1656 

It  is  this  day  granted  that  Captin  Champernoune  shall  haue 
liberty  to  mak  yous  of  any  Timber  of  pine,  within  the  space  of 
on  miell  of  winacont  Riuer  within  the  bounds  of  this  Towne  so 
that  it  be  for  his  owne  perticuler  youse  but  not  to  sell  the  timber 
unsawn  unto  any  and  so  to  leave  to  the  preiedus  of  him  self 
and  the  Towne 

It  is  farther  granted  unto  mr  Richard  Tucker  the  neck  of 
land  commonly  called  musketto  hall  upon  the  great  Illand  so 
that  it  do  not  apeer  any  other  mans  formor  Right,  which  was 
formorly  the  land  of  John  wottons  and  so  reputed  to  bee 
RENALD  FERNALD  HENRIE  SHERBURNE  JOHN.  G  PICKERINGS 
mark  NATHANIEL  DRAKE  RICHARD.  R  C  COMMES  his  mark 
JOHN  JACKSON  JAMES  I  JOHNSON  his  mark 
************ 


38 


Portsmouth  Records 


[From  Page  37.] 

A  true  transcript  of  those  that  subscribed  in  the  years  1658 
1666  to  the  maintenance  of  ye  Minister 
At  a  Gen.  Towne  meeting  14  :  12  mth. 


Jno  Moses  i 

Wm  Brookin  i 

James  Leach  10 

ffran  Ran  15 

Ano  Brackett  1-15 

Walr  Neale  15 

Geo  Walton  2 

ph  :  Griffin  10 

Jno  Jacksons  1-05 

Tho  Onyun  i 

Wm  Ham  i 

Tho  :  ffurzen  05 

Tho  :  Auery  10 

Wm  Morris  10 

Tho :  Hinckson  10 

Allexsa  Batcheler  14 

Jos  :  Walker  12 

Tho  :  peuerly  14 

Robt  Dauis  10 

Rich  :  Jackson  i 

Jos.  Atkins  10 

Charles  Allen  10 

Jno  Jones  15 

Jno  Hall  i 

Wm  Seauy  2-10 

Toby  Langdon  i 

Edw  Barton  15 

Jno  Sargent  15 

Jno  ffoss  10 

Nathl  Drake  i 

mr   Mason  i 

Tho  Waliord  i-io 

Hen  :  Sherburn  2 

Rich  :  Cutt  5 

Jno  Sherburn  i-io 

Rob  :  puddington  5 

ph  :  Lewis  i-io ' 

Jno  Hart  15 


ffran  Drake  16 

Ano.  Ellins  1-06 

Wm  Cotton  i 

Hen.  Beck  05 

Rich  :  Abbett  10 

Leon.  Weeks  10 

Robt  Elliot  15 

Edw  Clarke  10 

Jer  :  Wai  ford  06 

Watr  Abbett  15 

Sam'  Haynes  i-io 

Tho  Wedg  10 

Quince  Smith  10 

Her.  Hunking  i-io 

Jno  Hunking  i 

James  Johnson  2-10 

Mr  vail :  Hill  i-io 

mr  Ric.  Martin  2 

Rich.  Sloper  15 

Rogr  Knight  i 

Hen.  Sauidg  i 

Nic.  Row  05 

Ric  :  Saward  senr  i 

Jno.  Webster  i-io 

Math  Ham  10 

Robt  Mattoone  i 

Jno.  Lock  10 

Edw  Melcher  10 

Dan  :  paull  i 

mr  Eyers  15 

Bar.  Square  10 

Jno  Odiorne 
Jno  pickering 
Rob  :  Mussell 
Widow  ffernald 
Tho  :  Seauy 
old  chanler 
Ric  :  Saward  Junr 


Portsmouth  Records 


89 


Jno  Cutt 

Capt  Bry  pendleton 
Rich  Comings 
Mr  Th  :  Broughton 
Jno  Johnson 


5-10 

5 

2 

2-IO 
IO 


Allex  Jones 
Wm  Lux 
Geo  Jones 
Jos  :  Roger 
James  Pendleton 


At  a  Gen  Towne  Meeting  ye  8th  march  65  |  66. 

The  names  of  those  that  subscribed  towards  mr  mody  that 
came  since  ye  yeere  58  or  did  not  then  subscribe  &  of  such  as 
have  Lessened  wt  they  then  Gaue 


Marke  Hunking  i 

Subsc  in  58  Rich  Sloper  10 

Jno  Bruster  08 

Tho  :  Dennis  i 

phil :  Benmore  06 

Edm.  Greene  i 

Rich  :  Stileman  13 

Charles  Gleeden  i 

mr  Wm  Vaughan  2-12 

Sui>  58  James  Johnson         i 
phi :  Nick  05 

Jos  Moss  10 

Tho  Jackson  15 

Jno  Clarke  I 

Jeff:  Curry er  10 

Jno  Kennestone  10 

Jno  Ameuteene  10 


mr  Abra.  Corbett  i-io 

Mr  Rich.  Tucker  10 

Jno  partridg  10 

Sub  58  Jno  Sherburne  i 

Jno  pickering  Junr  10 

Jno  Kettle  10 

Wm  Earle  10 

Steuen  Grassum  10 

Jno  Marden  09 

mr  Geo.  Wallis  i-io 

Edw  West  i-io 

Sub  58  Jno  Jackson  senr  i-io 

Ro.  Shores  •<*  day  worke  08 

mr  Nath  ffryer  2-10 

Dermont  Ushr  tdayes  4 
Sub  58  Jno  Lock 


1717. 

(From  North  Parish  Records?) 

LlST  OF  PERSONS  RATED  TO  YE  OLD  MEETING-HOUSE 


John  Pickering 
William  Cotton 
George  Walker 
James  Lovett 
Ephraim  Jackson 
John  Preston 


Samll  Pitman 
Walter  Abbott 
Henry  Jaquith 
John  Roberts 
Eliza  Pitman 
Robert  Bushbee 


40 


Portsmouth  Records 


Hugh  Banfield 
Henry  Beekford 
John  packer 
Alexander  Miller 
Peter  Abbott 
Natha  Melcher 
Thomas  Barnes 
Solomon  Cotton 
James  Moses 
George  Banfield 
Peter  Ball 
Charles  Banfield 
Sam :  Waterhouse 
John  Lang 
Jos  Fanning 
Thomas  Maine 
John  Shores 
Jabis  Pitman 
Wm  Cotton  jr 
John  Abbott  snr 
Jos  Miller 
John  Abbott  junr 
James  Abbott 
Wm  Knowles 
Henry  Brown 
John  Adams 
Nicholas  Browne 
Willm  Walker 
Sarnll  Sevey 
Anthony  Roe  senr 
Anthony  Roe  junr 
Laz  holmes 
Roger  Swaine 
Abram  Jones 
William  Spregg 
hen  Tout 
Joseph  Meade 
hen:  Beck 
Selvenge  Scott 
John  Parkes 
Zach  Leach 
Joseph  Sweet 
William  Barnes 
Thomas  Wright 


Prudence  Tapley 
John  Sherburne 
James  Sherburne 
Nath  Odderhorme 
Noah  dodge 
John  harnson 
Edw  Wells 
Edwd  phillip 
Joseph  Ballech 
William  Amos 
Wm  Bladen 
Thomas  Cotton 
Thomas  Moore 
John  Ellos 
William  Fosse 
John  Moulton 
William  Warren 
Abraham  dent 
Benjamin  Maxfield 
John  Partridge 
James  Stewart 
Robert  Ward 
Stephen  Greenliff 
Abraham  Barnes 
Edwd  Sherburne 
Steph  Lange 
Michaell  Lovett 
daniei  quick 
Francis  Raye 
Stephen  Noble 
John  Davis 
John  Snell 
Thomas  Greley 
John  Savidge  jun 
William  peavee 
Nathl  Gearish 
Snow 

widder  denerson 
Benjamn  Cotton 
Peter  Bab  vede 
John  Furburn 
Tho.  Snow 
Robert  pickern 
William  Beckman 


Portsmouth  Records 


41 


Richd  Waterhouse 
John  Ford 
Captn  Jones 
Joseph  Pitman 
Adam  peacock 
Ambrose  Sloper 
William  White 
William  hunkins 
Sampson  Ball 
John  Wesbrous 
John  Clarke 
Walter  Stears 
John  denerson 
Charles  Jos 
Robert  Lang 


Ralph  burne 

John  Lear 

James  Pitman 

Richd  Shortridge 

Timothy  davis 

George  Vaughan 

Benjamin  Lucey 

Willm  partridge 

Thomas  walden 

Rec'd  the  afore  mentioned  List 

signed  p  ye  hands  of 

John  Pickering 

William  Cotton 

Geo  Walker 


RATED    TO    THE    NEW    MEETING-HOUSE  : 


Maj  Wm  Vaughan  15 

Capt  Saml  Winkley  i 

Saml  Penhallow  Esq  1-12 

Michael  Whedden  i 

Wido  Hatch  5 

Geo  Jaffrey  Esq  1-17 
Wido  of  Nathl  Jackson           5 

Splan  Lovell  17 

Elisha  Briard  17 

Jno  Plaisted  Esq  i-  5 

Jacob  Lavers  5 

Richd  Wibird  Esq  i-io 

Thos  Packer  Esq  i-io 

Wido  Mary  Martyn  5 

Wido  Eliza  Eburn  5 

Mr  Ed  Ayres  i-  5 

Capt  Josha  Pearce  i-  8 

James  Spinny  10 

Geo  :  Marshall  17 

Wido  Sarah  Jackson  5 

Saml  Clark  10 

Benja  Miller  17 

mr  Ephr  Dennet  i-  6 

Jno  Gilden  10 

Ed  Toogood  17 
6n 


James  Libbey 

Richard  Parsley 

Wm  Parker 

Capt  James  Jeffries 

Solo  Hewes 

Mr  Richard  Gerrish 

Capt  Henry  Sherburne 

Daniel  Jackson 

Richd  Martyn 

Jno  Jones 

Wid  Man 

Timo  Waterhouse 

Moses  Paul 

Axwell  Roberts 

Mr  Sam  Hincks 

Mr  Clement  Hewes 

Wid  Eliz  Dennet 

Capt  Thos  Pearce 

Oliver  Dennet 

Bn  Akerman 

Josha  Brown 

Ed  Pendexter 

Madn  Story 

Capt  Jno  Knight 

Capt  Joseph  Sherburne 


17 

12 

i5 
i7 

8 
8 
8 

17 
3 

17 


17 

IO 

i 

5 
i 

17 

12 
12 
13 

8 
i-  6 

I-  2 


Portsmouth  Records 


Capt  Saml  Hart  i 

Obadh  Morse  10 
Capt  Thos  Phipps              i 

Bn  Dunnel  12 

Henry  Sewerd  10 

Mr  Bridgeman  10 

Ed  Cater  12 

AVm  Loud  17 

Thos  Letherby  junr  8 

mr  Wm  ffellows  18 

Joseph  Molton  17 
CaptArchd  Mackpheadrisi-io 

Haddon  ye  Joyner  7 
Jere  Calef 

Robt  Almery  10 

Caleb  Grassam  6 

Thomas  Harvey  15 

Francis  Ditte  12 

Wm  Lewis  12 

Thos  Landell  12 

Jno  Shackford  17 

Moses  Ingram  10 

Jno  Pray  10 

Wido  Allcock  10 

mr  Jno  Field  18 
mr  Benjn  Gambling          i 

Saml  Shackford  17 

mr  Willet  3 

Thos  Ayres  12 

Wm  Cotton  17 
Capt  Richd  Waterhouse       17 

Jno  Skilton  12 

Joseph  Berry  10 

Jno  Hill  15 

Jno  Ham  10 

Capt  Thos  Sherburne  12 

Joseph  Buss  12 

Nathl  Mendom  12 

Capt  Gatchel  12 

Jno  Libbey  14 

Laza  Noble  10 

Jere  Libbey  9 

Wido  walker  3 


Capt  Henry  Sloper  12 

Capt  Jno  Kennard  15 

Geo  Walker  8 

Russell  8 

Richard  Tobey  17 

Richd  Elliot    '  17 

Jno  Cutts  1 7 

wido  of  Jno  Cutts  17 

wido  Mary  Hunking  8 

Tobias  Langdon  junr  18 

Jno  Davis  12 

Saml  Swan  10 

Josiah  Clark  10 

Abraham  Ayers  8 

Elberd  Elberdson  5 
Thos  Blashfield 

Nathl  Robinson  8 

Thos  Cole  12 

Saml  Rymes  8 

Capt  Paul  Gerrish  12 

Jenkin  Lewis  10 

Jno  Drew  10 

Jno  Young  7 

Jno  Williams  7 

Humphrey  Marshall  7 

George  Smith  7 

Jno  Churchill  7 

James  Cod  7 

Richard  Cutts  10 

Thos  Mayn  7 

Jno  Almery  7 

Richd  Cross  7 

Thos  Crocker  5 

Saml  Brown  8 

Henry  Nicholson  10 

Richd  Jos  &  mother  10 

Henry  Keese  10 

Stephen  Rose  10 

Saml  Sherburne  8 

Reuben  Abbot  6 

Bn  ffoster  10 

Robt  Armstrong  jr  12 

Geo:  Knight  10 


Portsmouth  Records 


43 


George  Pearce  17 

Saml  Manson  12 

Jno  Jackson  junr  7 

Ed:  Cole  15 

Henry  Sherburn  1-2 

Henry  Sherburn  jr  8 

Jno  Peverly  12 

Nathl  Peverly  10 

Wm  Ross  7 

Wido  Nelson  12 

Thos  Westbrook  Esq  1-5 

Capt  Langdon  1-5 

Nathl  Tuckerman  12 

David  Gardner  15 

Jere  Carter  8 

Wido  Almery  3 

Amos  ffernald  12 

Joseph  Mosses  10 

Moshes  Caverley  12 

George  Ayres  10 

Doctor  Pike  15 

Mr  Harry  Johnson  12 

Jno  Marden  8 

Geo :  Townsend  12 

Joseph  Miller  12 

Wm  Watson  12 

Joseph  Allcock  12 

Wm  Bennet  8 

Matthew  James  10 

RichdWard  10 

Mr  Eleazer  Russell  10 

Mr  Grindall  12 

Jno  Olliver  7 

Saml  Ham  12 

Richd  Elliot  junr.  10 

James  Studley  10 

Wm  Sewerd  12 

Walter  Warren  10 

Doctr  Bowie  12 


Doctr  Draper  10 

Wm  Hart  12 

Mr  Richd  Waldron  15 

Alexr  Wyal  10 

Wm  ffairweather  10 

Capt  Jno  Robinson  12 

Thomas  Hamet  10 

Wm  Pevey  12 

Michael  Whidden  junr  8 

Thos  Simpson  10 

Jno  Peverley  junr  10 

Saml  Brewster  10 

Matthew  Nelson  10 

Thos  Sherburne  junr  7 
Montgomery  ye  Joynr     6 

Thos  Wilkinson  5 

Jno  Sherburne  15 

Jno  Brewster  i 

Geo  Almery  10 

Joseph  Holmes  6 

Ezekill  Pitman  8 

Thos  Harris  7 

Philip  Woodhouse  8 

Abraham  Center  7 

Mr  Nathl  Shannon  10 

Jno  Carter  5 

Mr  Bishop  10 

Joseph  Downing  8 

James  Leach  7 
Capt  Walter  ffenlayson  •       10 

Moses  Dennet  7 

Ed  Kate  junr  7 

Thos  Langley  7 

Thos  Moor  5 

Jona  Studley  6 

Jno  Brewster  junr  5 
Dd  Jere .  Calefe  Constable. 
Jan  15,  1717. 


APPENDIX 


NOTES 


The  following  abbreviations  are  used  : 

PR.  P.,  Provincial  Papers  of  New  Hampshire. 

MS.  C.  R.,  Manuscript  Court  Records,  in  Rockingham  Registry  of  Deeds,  at 
Exeter.  There  are  six  volumes,  the  earliest  beginning  with  a  list  of  suits  en- 
tered in  1640  in  the  Court  of  Dover  and  Strawberry  Bank,  and  ending  with  deed 
recorded  16  November,  1653,  George  Smyth,  Recorder.  These  records  were  origi- 
nally kept  at  Portsmouth,  but  for  safety  were  removed  in  1775  to  Exeter,  where 
they  have  since  remained. 

JENN.  Doc.,  Transcripts  of  Original  Documents  in  the  English  Archives,  re- 
lating to  the  Early  History  of  New  Hampshire  ;  Edited  by  John  Scribner  Jenness, 
New  York  :  Privately  Printed,  1876. 


On  a  fly  leaf  of  the  earliest  town-book  some  one  has  written 
the  following  lines  (the  handwriting  resembles  that  of  Elias 
Stileman)  : 

"  If  you  will  end  youre  worke  in  peace 

Then  look  to  god  &  doe  not  sease 
To  Gide  you  all  from  first  to  last 
Till  good  thereof  you  all  do  tast." 

Page  13.  The  binder  has  inserted  the  first  leaf  out  of  its  proper 
place.  The  entry  is  a  copy,  signatures  and  all,  in  the  neat  and 
legible  hand  of  Renald  Fernald.  The  last  two  figures  of  the 
year  being  torn  off,  I  have  supplied  52  as  the  date. 


46  Appendix 

"  William  Frethy"  is  the  only  name  that  does  not  elsewhere  re- 
cur, and  it  is  likely  that  he  was  but  a  temporary  resident.  He 
was  of  Georgeana  (York)  in  1640.  Folsom's  Saco&  Biddeford, 
56.  His  name  is  among  the  signers  of  the  instrument  of  sub- 
mission to  the  Massachusetts  at  Agamenticus,  22  November, 
1652.  William  Frethy,  fisherman  (and  -Elizabeth,  his  wife), 
was  of  York  in  1671,  1681,  and  1688.  He  had  sons — John 
and  Samuel — and  the  name  is  found  in  that  town  in  the  last 
century.  York  Co.  MS.  Records. 

P.  14,  /.  i.    This  order  is  printed  in  i  Pr.  P.,  172. 

Ib.,  I.  34.  The  site  of  the  meeting-house  was  upon  what  is  now 
Pleasant  street,  just  below  Court,  on  the  west  side.  The  grant  of 
the  glebe  describes  the  south  part  of  the  twelve  acres  adjoining 
the  parsonage  house,  as  "  abutting  on  the  edge  of  the  salt  creek 
marsh."  The  little  chapel  that  became  a  "meeting-house" 
must  have  occupied  the  extreme  southeast  corner,  and  the  par- 
sonage was  probably  north  of  it.  The  marsh  is  here  spoken 
of  as  lying  before  the  meeting-house,  from  which  we  may  infer 
that  the  building  faced  the  south. 

Ib.,  I.  38.  Later  in  the  town  records,  19  November,  1658,  an 
entry  recites  tjie  laying  out  of  Bachelder's  lot  of  eight  acres, 
"  with  the  neck  of  lande  &  meadow  called  formerlie  by  the  name 
of  pumphrey's  poynt,  hee  purchasinge  the  meadow  of  Jeremiah 
walford."  The  record  at  Exeter  of  a  deed  of  i  April,  1661, 
mentions  the  house  of  Alexander  Bacheler,  in  the  possession  of 
Ann,  deceased,  "  on  the  west  side  of  the  Great  Island."  The 
southwest  corner  of  Great  Island,  opposite  the  mouth  of  Saga- 
more creek  answers  the  description  of  "  Pomfrey's  Point." 
The  name  may  have  come  from  William  Pomfret,  an  early 
owner  of  the  Francis  Raines  house  at  Strawberry  Bank,  who 
was  of  Dover  in  1640. 


Appendix  47 

P.  15,  /.  5.  Thomas  Williams  in  June,  1649,  released  the  island 
to  Richard  King.  Page  31.  I  am  satisfied  that  by  Clampering 
Island  is  meant  what  is  now  known  as  Leach's  Island.  I  have 
looked  in  vain  for  Clampering,  as  a  geographical,  or  family  name. 
It  may  have  been  the  name  of  a  locality  in  England. 

lb.,  /.  14.  See  also  page  31  At  the  edge  is  a  memorandum, 
made  some  years  later  by  Stileman  (to  judge  from  the  hand- 
writing) as  follows :  "*  *  of  her  husband  e  right  of  dower 
in  fo  ii  Com'iser."  Consult  Rockingham  County  History 
(1884),  Article  RYE,  p.  456. 

Ib.,  /.  22.  The  word  "  twentie  "  is  overwritten;  it  may  be 
"  sixtie." 

Ib.,  I.  27.  The  mills  were  on  the  northeast  side  of  Sagamore 
creek,  ii  MS.  C.  R.,  50.  On  the  22.  i  .  1649,  Sampson 
Lane  granted  to  Ambrose  Lane,  among  other  property,  "  one 
saw  mill  now  in  building  at  Sagamores  creeke  in  Pascataq  . 
river."  i  Suffolk  Deeds,  137.  The  transaction  is  minuted 
at  Exeter.  A  Strawberry  Bank  petition  of  May,  1653,  com- 
plains that  while  other  towns  had  saw  mills,  "  there  is  none  in 
this  Towne,  but  only  one  which  was  never  perfected  nor  like 
to  bee."  i  Pr.  P.,  208. 

The  charter  of  Newcastle  (1693)  speaks  of  a  point  Of  land 
on  the  south  side  of  Saggamore's  creek,  called  "  Sampson's 
Point."  May  not  the  name  have  been  derived  from  Sampson 
Lane,  one  of  Mason's  stewards,  who  owned  land  in  that  neigh- 
borhood, and  probably  lived  there  ? 

P.  1 6,  /.  20.  The  northwest  corner  of  Great  Island,  called 
"  Musketo  Hall,"  appears  to  have  had  several  owners.  Francis 
Matthews  had  a  lease  of  it  in  1637.  J  Pr.  P.,  98;  1 1  MS.  C.  R., 
8.  The  town  17  May,  1656,  granted  to  Mr.  Richard  Tucker 
the  "  neck  of  land  on  great  Illand  called  Mosketto  Hall  .  .  . 
which  was  formerly  the  land  of  John  Wottons  and  so  reported 


48  Appendix 

to  be."  Page  37.  Thomasine,  widow  of  Francis  Matthews, 
"  entered  her  caution  "  for  it,  23  July,  1653,  as  bought  by  her 
husband  from  John  Hurde,  of  Sturgeon  Creek.  George  Wal- 
ton also  claimed  to  own  it,  by  sale  from  Hurde,  and  entered 
a  similar  caution  25  July,  1653. 

The  old  doctor's  field  belonged  to  Renald  Fernald.  Tradi- 
tion says  that  he  resigned  the  post  of  surgeon  in  the  British 
navy,  to  come  over  with  Mason's  company. 

P.  1 6,  /.  21.  There  is  reason  to  believe  that  page  one  origi- 
nally began  with  this  entry  of  April  5,  1652. 

P.  17,  /.  17.  This  is  a  second  extract  from  the  record  of 
the  town  meeting  held  15  August,  1646,  the  first,  on  page  15, 
reciting  a  like  grant  of  four  acres  each  of  fresh  and  salt 
marsh  to  Renald  Fernald. 

All  that  is  now  left  of  the  "great  pond,"  on  the  south  side  of 
the  Great  House,  is  what  in  later  days  has  borne  the  name  of 
Puddle  Dock.  There  was  a  time  doubtless  when  the  waters  of 
the  South  Mill  Pond  and  Puddle  Dock  united  at  high  tide. 
That  there  was  a  ford  somewhere  across  this  outlet  appears 
from  an  entry  at  Exeter,  2  October,  1644.  It  is  "  Ordered  that 
the  inhabitants  of  Strawberry  Banke  shall  make  a  sufficient 
ffoote  Bridge  at  the  wading  place  beyond  the  great  house  be- 
fore the  last  of  May  next  upon  payne  of  5  ;£."  i  MS.  C. 
£.,  26. 

In  a  deed  by  John  Pickering,  of  house  and  land  at  Picker- 
ing's Neck  (a  part  of  this  town  grant)  to  his  daughter  Mary, 
wife  of  John  Plaisted,  23  January,  1691,  mention  is  made  of 
running  a  fence  "  toward  ye  creek  going  in  by  ye  great  house 
to  ye  burying  place  &  so  eastward  to  ye  water  side."  iv  MS. 
C.  £.,  33- 

P.  18.  The  petition  of  20  October,  165 1,  will  be  found  printed 
in  i  Pr.  P.,  192.  Consult  also  pages  205  and  207. 


Appendix  49 

Ib.,  I,  27.  The  "Randavow"  was  what  is  now  Odiorne's  Point. 
The  earliest  mention  I  find  of  a  ferry  is  late  in  1642,  or  early  in 
1643,  in  the  MS.  Court  Records,  at  Exeter,  vol.  I,  p.  14  : 
"  Henry  Sherborne  ordered  by  the  court  to  keepe  a  fferry  &  to 
have  for  his  paynes  from  the  great  house  to  the  great  Island  2d, 
And  to  the  prouince  i2d.  To  Rowes  2d  to  Strawberry  banck 
6d  for  one  man  And  if  there  come  2  or  more  to  have  4d  a 
pts  to  Strawberry  Banck  8d  a  pts  to  the  Province  &  2d  a  pts 
for  all  the  other  fferrys  And  tis  further  ordered  that  he  shall 
keepe  an  ordinary  qt.  8d  meale  And  this  order  to  continue 
till  the  general  Court  take  further  order." 

"To  Rowes  "  may  refer  to  the  house  of  Nicholas  Row,  one 
of  the  grantors  of  the  glebe,  1640. 

"Sherborn's  Poynt,"  I  should  say,  was  the  land  lying  on  the 
north  side  of  Sagamore  creek,  where  the  old  Wentworth  mansion 
stands. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  creek  was  Sanders'  Point,  the  oldest 
English  name  on  the  Pascataqua.  It  was  the  site  of  a  bridge 
from  Great  Island  as  early  as  1663  (vm  N.  H.  Hist.  Soc., 
133)  which  a  great  storm  broke  in  the  middle  22  February, 
1683-4.  i  Pr.  P.,  S3i- 

A  letter  from  Mason  and  others,  dated  London,  5  December, 
1632,  to  their  factor  Ambrose  Gibbins,  at  Newichewannock, 
says,  "  You  desire  to  settle  yourself  upon  Sanders'  Point. '  The 
adventurers  are  willing  to  pleasure  you,  etc  "  i  Pr.  P.,  69. 
John  Elwyn,  a  descendant  of  Gibbins,  says  that  Gibbon  (as  he 
calls  him)  "  lived  till  he  went  Upstream  in  Captain  John 
Mason's  Garrison  house  at  the  mouth  of  Witch  creek,"  another 
name  for  Sagamore.  Gibbins  signed  the  glebe  grant  at  Straw- 
berry Bank  in  1640,  and  later  was  a  selectman  of  Dover.  Elwyn, 
who  knew  every  foot  of  ground  in  the  neighborhood,  and  its 
every  association,  gives  us  reason  to  believe  that  his  ancestor 
was  laid  to  rest  at  this  spot,  which  is  not  far  from  where  the 
first  settler  landed.  "  There  is  a  good  many  graves  since  a 

few  rods  from  our  Garrison  houses  cellar,  will  I  guess  once  a 
TH 


60  Appendix 

little  churchyard,  will  I  half  guess  too  that  we  brought  Gibbon 
down  and  buried  him  here,  a  Saunder's  Point  the  mouth  of 
the  creek."  Some  Piscataivay  Things  And  A  Good  Deal  Else, 

P-  47- 

The  present  bridge  from  The  Wentworth  crosses  to  Sanders' 
Point.  The  name  is  preserved  there  as  late  as  1757.  ix  Pr. 
P;  567. 

P.  20,  /.  7.  "Strawberry  Banke  creek,"  afterwards  Islington 
creek,  and  now  the  North  Mill  Pond,  is  sometimes  called  "The 
Fresh  Marsh  creek."  Clement  Campion  owned  eight  acres,  on 
"  Campion's  Neck,"  which  comprised  what  stretches  from  the 
North  burying-ground  to  Raynes'  ship-yard.  Richard  Sew- 
ard's  grant  lay  upon  "  Christian  Shore."  Campion  bought  a 
house  of  Francis  Raines,  that  stood  probably  not  far  from 
what  is  now  the  corner  of  Green  and  Market  streets.  See  page  30. 

P.  21,  /.  3.  Whoever  applies  himself  to  a  study  of  the  Ports- 
mouth records  will  surely  find  in  the  brief  entry  that  recites  their 
mutilation,  a  source  of  almost  never-ending  perplexity.  George 
Walton,  whose  name  often  recurs,  kept  an  ordinary  at  the  Great 
Island,  where  he  was  licensed  to  draw  wine.  Under  his  roof, 
on  the  night  of  the  i3th  January,  1652  (1653,  N.  S.),  the  select- 
men met  and  proceeded  to  examine  the  old  town-book.  They 
were  Bryan  Pendleton,  Henry  Sherburne,  Renald  Fernald, 
John  Pickering  and  James  Johnson,  men  of  force  and  charac- 
ter, and  all  of  them  prominent  in  our  early  annals.  So  much 
of  the  contents  as  did  not  meet  their  approval  they  "  crossed 
out,"  and  the  little  they  deemed  worth  saving  they  directed 
should  be  recorded  in  a  book  to  be  begun  anew  (the  "first 
book  "  we  now  have)  and  to  be  confirmed  by  themselves. 

This  extraordinary  performance  appears  not  even  to  have  had 
a  vote  of  the  inhabitants  to  justify  it.  On  the  contrary,  the 
fathers  of  the  town  of  their  own  arbitrary  notion  deliberately 
set  themselves  at  the  work  of  spoliation,  leaving  behind  them 
as  a  memorial  of  the  deed  two  or  three  lines  that  not  so  much 


Appendix  51 

as  hint  at  a  pretext  for  their  conduct,  or  in  the  faintest  way  re- 
veal the  purpose  that  inspired  it.  Tampering  with  a  public 
record  is  treated  as  a  criminal  offence  at  the  present  day,  but 
here  the  open  and  avowed  manner  of  its  perpetration  shows 
that  it  must  have  been  regarded  as  a  mere  incident  of  official 
duty.  A  procedure  so  strange  to  our  eyes  cannot  fail  to  arrest 
and  fix  attention,  as  we  interest  ourselves  in  the  story  of  the  first 
settlement  of  the  Pascataqua  region;  and  once  enquired  into, 
the  mystery  that  envelopes  it  but  stimulates  a  desire  to  fathom 
its  meaning. 

Doubtless  much  that  is  now  apparently  past  finding  out  will 
yield  some  day  to  further  study,  aided,  as  it  surely  will  be, 
by  the  papers  that  are  coming  to  light  both  here  and  in  Eng- 
land, as  a  reward  of  the  faithful  labors  of  the  antiquarian. 
Whatever  progress  we  may  make  to-day,  we  cannot  hope  to 
reach  the  true  character  of  this  transaction,  unless  we  take  into 
account  and  rightly  estimate  the  relations  subsisting  between 
our  town  authorities  and  the  Massachusetts,  who  since  1642 
had  held  sway  over  the  settlements  at  the  Pascataqua. 

The  wording  of  the  entry  leaves  it  an  open  question  whether 
the  selectmen  actually  made  way  with  the  old  town-book  itself, 
or  kept  it,  perhaps  in  a  mutilated  condition,  as  a  part  of  the 
town  records.  This  uncertainty  is  enhanced  by  the  fact  that 
there  seems  to  be  found  no  trace  whatever  of  the  book 
at  the  present  time.  I  am  disposed,  upon  the  whole,  to 
doubt  whether  its  disappearance  is  necessarily  to  be  assigned 
to  this  memorable  act  of  the  ijth  January,  1652.  In  saying 
this  I  do  not  overlook  the  fact  that  Dr.  Belknap  speaks  of  the 
book  as  "destroyed."  His  statement  has  been  uniformly  fol- 
lowed, and  yet  he  cites  no  authority  other  than  the  entry  itself 
that  is  under  consideration. 

The  manuscript  history  by  the  Rev.  Jabez  Fitch,  of  which 
Belknap  had  the  use,  now  in  the  library  of  the  Massachusetts 
Historical  Society,  is  silent  on  this  point.  A  writer  to  whose 
opinion  'great  deference  is  due,  is  the  late  John  Elwyn,  of 


52  Appendix 

Portsmouth,  a  man  without  a  superior  in  his  knowledge  of  what 
pertained  to  our  early  history.  Speaking  of  his  ancestor, 
Henry  Sherburne  (one  of  the  selectmen,  as  we  have  seen), 
Elwyn  styles  him,  "A  church  warden  of  our  little  English 
chapel  the  Bay  broke  up,  All  there  is  left  of  our  Fasti  earlier 
than  the  Bay  puritans  got  ours  burned  and  the  Saco  ones  both, 
this  is  the  instrument  of  Forty."  (Some  Piscataqua  Things  and 
a  Good  Deal  Else,  1870,  p.  48.)  The  Saco  records,  it  may  be 
added,  are  lost  prior  to  1653,  the  date  when  the  Massachusetts 
took  possession.  Curiously  enough  Bryan  Pendleton  removed 
in  1665  from  Portsmouth  to  Saco,  where  the  selectmen  in  1672 
were  ordered  to  procure  a  town-book,  and  Pendleton  was  re- 
quested to  transcribe  the  recoBds  into  it.  Says  Edward  P. 
Burnham,  who  is  familiar  with  the  early  history  of  that  locality: 
"The  Saco  records  prior  to  1653  were  probably  destroyed. 
It  is  too  late  to  ascertain  what  discretion  Pendleton  exer- 
cised as  to  what  was  unfit  and  what  was  suitable  to  be  tran- 
scribed, or  what  became  of  the  former  record  books."  Letter 
of  21  August,  1886. 

A  reason  for  hesitating  to  believe  that  the  selectmen  de- 
stroyed the  book  itself  is  this  :  A  new  book  was  begun  in  De- 
cember, 1664.  Into  it  was  copied  everything  that  the  town- 
book  contained,  and  thereafter  all  entries  made  in  the  town-book 
were  carefully  copied  into  the  "new  book,"  the  two  being 
kept  side  by  side.  The  record  thus  reads  : 

"  At  a  meeting  of  the  selectmen  the  27th  of  December  1(64 
it  was  agreed  upon  by  a  joynt  consent  as  followeth  :  That  the 
Toune  Booke  shall  be  carefully  copied  out  into  a  new  Booke, 
which  coppie  of  the  original  being  compared  by  the  selectmen 
now  in  being  shall  be  as  authentick  as  the  originall  and  that 
all  the  town  acts  which  are  to  be  recorded  for  the  future  shall 
be  from  yeer  to  yeer  transcribed  into  the  sayd  Booke  the 
ground  of  which  agreement  is  to  prevent  all  confusions  which 
for  the  future  may  arise  through  any  casualtie  by  fire  water  or 
otherwise  that  may  happen  to  the  said  originall  Booke  &  being 


Appendix  53 

compared  by  the  selectmen  for  the  time  being  shall  be  as  au- 
thentick  as  the  originate  booke  ;  as  is  aforesaid."  Rec.  92. 

At  intervals  thereafter  the  selectmen  certify  over  their  signa- 
tures that  they  have  correctly  transcribed  the  entries  "  from 
this  Booke  into  the  new  Booke."  The  last  certificate,  at  the 
close  of  the  first  book,  is  as  follows  :  "  Thus  farr  transcribed 
into  ye  new  book  to  ye  last  of  March  1694  and  compared  ac- 
cording to  towne  order  Wm  Vaughan,  John  Pickering,  Tobias 
Langdon,  Geo.  Snell,  Selectmen." 

Now  upon  turning  to  page  121,  we  read  under  date  of  22 
April,  1667,  the  following  entry,  in  the  well  known  hand  of 
Elias  Stileman,  town  clerk  and  one  of  the  selectmen  :  "  The 
present  selectmen  motioning  to  have  the  town  boo  .  .  in  their 
hands  for  the  better  management  of  the  town  affa  .  .  which  the 
Towne  grants  viz  the  two  ould  bookes." 

Of  course,  the  reader  does  well  to  be  on  his  guard  lest  the 
the  brevity  of  the  entries  mislead  him.  It  seems  to  me,  how- 
ever, that  the  expression  "the  two  ould  bookes"  points  to  the  ex- 
istence of  another  old  town-book  than  that  which  has  come  down 
to  us,  and  which,  as  we  have  just  seen,  became  an  old  town- 
book  in  1664,  when  by  order  of  the  selectmen  a  new  book  was 
opened.  Not  unlikely  is  it  that  the  original  book  was  left  in 
existence,  shorn  of  authenticity,  at  least  in  regard  to  what  had 
been  crossed  out.  Besides  it  happens  that  the  signatures  to 
the  entry  of  i3th  January,  1652,  are  not  originals  but  copies, 
in  the  handwriting  of  Renald  Fernald.  This  fact  indicates 
that  the  five  selectmen  may  have  signed  their  names  to  an  en- 
try in  the  old,  original  book,  so  that  what  we  have  is  only  the 
town  clerk's  version  of  that  entry.  If  this  be  so,  it  strengthens 
the  belief  that  the  book  itself  did  not  perish. 

Again,  among  the  theories  that  have  presented  themselves 
is  this,  and  it  is  not  wholly  lacking  in  plausibility.  There  were 
certain  entries  in  the  town-book,  which  the  party  in  control 
wished  to  get  rid  of.  To  effect  their  purpose,  the  authorities 
cut  out  the  leaves  on  which  the  entries  had  been  written  ;  and 


54  Appendix 

wherever  a  len,f  chanced  to  contain  another  entry,  to  which 
they  had  no  objection,  the  town  clerk  saved  it  by  copying  it 
into  the  present  first  book.  This  hypothesis  would  account 
for  the  meagre  number  of  items  transcribed,  and  yet  leave  the 
record,  thus  curtailed,  to  stand  as  theretofore.  It  is  an  objec- 
tion well  nigh  fatal,  however,  that  the  extract  from  page  92 
just  given  speaks  of  "the  town  book,"  as  if  there  were  but 
one. 

The  above  entry,  I  ought  to  explain,  is  the  sole  reference  I 
have  come  across  lending  probability  to  the  suggestion  that 
crossing  out  did  not  go  to  the  extent  of  destroying  the  book 
itself.  The  enquiry  is  perhaps  after  all  rather  curious  than 
important;  for  the  main  fact  remains  that  the  public  record 
was  despoiled,  and  its  sanctity  violated.  Even  if  we  come  to 
believe  that  the  book  was  kept,  with  the  obnoxious  portions 
crossed  out  in  ink  only,  this  would  not  materially  change  our 
estimate  of  the  character  of  the  proceeding,  or  mitigate  the 
censure  to  be  visited  upon  so  high-handed  a  transaction.  A 
knowledge  of  the  precise  truth  might  modify,  it  is  likely,  our 
views  of  the  purpose  with  which  the  act  was  committed.  More- 
over the  discovery  would  serve  to  keep  alive  a  spark  of  hope 
that  by  some  miracle  of  fortune  the  book  itself  may  yet  be 
brought  to  light. 

There  is  indeed  a  mere  possibility  that  this  town-book  was 
still  in  existence  in  the  early  part  of  the  last  century.  We  find 
from  an  entry  of  25  March,  1725,  that  Mr.  William  Vaughan 
was  thought  to  have  in  his  possession  a  book,  or  books  of  the 
town,  and  the  selectmen  were  empowered  to  demand  them  of 
him,  or  of  any  person  suspected  ;  and  if  need  be  to  employ 
attorneys  to  recover  them.  There  appears  to  be  no  furtl.er 
mention  of  the  subject.  It  is  to  be  explained  that  carrying  off 
the  record  books  and  hiding  them  was  a  trick  not  unknown  in 
some  of  the  stormy  times  of  the  Province.  John  Pickering  is 
a  prominent  figure  in  this  kind  of  work  ;  and  later  Major  Wil- 
liam Vaughan  tries  his  hand  at  it.  In  1699  the  latter  hid  certain 


Appendix  55 

books,  probably  the  court  records  of  1682-1684,  and  when 
he  delivered  them  up  in  June,  1702,  to  Mr.  Penhallow,  it  was 
discovered  that  twenty-four  leaves,  covering  the  judgments  in 
Mason's  suits,  had  been  cut  out.  n  Pr.  P.,  303;  in  Ib.,  298. 

But  it  is  time  to  enquire  what  motive  governed  the  select- 
men— what  was  it  that  they  had  determined  to  suppress  in  the 
record.  Here,  it  must  be  confessed,  we  straightway  enter  a 
region  of  speculation.  Of  one  thing,  however,  we  may  be 
certain,  that  the  act  accorded  with  the  views  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts, if  not  done  at  their  actual  dictation.  And  this  leads 
us  to  glance  at  the  relation  that  had  subsisted  between  Straw- 
berry Banke  and  the  Bay  colony,  to  divine  if  we  may  how  it  could 
have  served  the  latter's  purpose  to  have  our  earlier  records  con- 
signed to  oblivion. 

It  is  not  easy  to  recite  how  it  was  brought  about  that  the  Pas- 
cataqua  settlements  in  1642  passed  under  the  control  of  their 
more  powerful  neighbors,  for  the  devious  paths  pursued  by  the 
Bay  authorities  in  claiming  jurisdiction  here  under  their  patent, 
are  every  now  and  then  lost  in  obscurity.  We  have  no  records 
of  our  own  to  recur  to,  and  the  Massachusetts  people  took  good 
care  that  at  every  turn  events  should  be  represented  in  a  light 
most  favorable  to  their  interests.  Besides,  with  slight  excep- 
tion Massachusetts  has  written  the  history. 

Was  the  movement  to  come  under  the  Massachusetts  govern- 
ment a  spontaneous  one,  or  was  it  an  encroachment,  artfully 
planned  and  as  artfully  carried  out  ?  So  far  as  I  can  discover, 
after  the  most  thorough  examination  that  I  have  been  able  to 
make,  not  a  petition,  or  other  document,  is  now  accessible  that 
bears  a  list  of  names,  or  sets  forth  reasons,  from  which  we  may  de- 
termine how  large  a  proportion  of  the  planters  favored  the  union, 
or  what  was  the  real  sentiment  that  prevailed  here.  We  are 
obliged  to  depend  almost  exclusively  upon  brief  records  of  Mas- 
sachusetts origin.  We  may  indeed  catch  a  glimpse  of  Hugh 
Peters,  after  his  visit  to  the  Pascataqua  region,  exclaiming  with 
true  missionary  fervor,  in  a  report  to  Winthrop,  that  the  people 


56  Appendix 

are  "ripe  for  our  Government.  .They  grone  for  government 
and  Gospel  all  over  that  side  of  the  country  Alas  poore  bleed- 
ing soules."  (vi.  Mass.  Hist.  Col.,  4th  Series,  108.)  But  Win- 
throp's  own  account  of  "  those  of  the  lower  part  of  Pascataqua" 
in  1642,  reckons  above  forty  of  them  who,  having  been  "pro- 
fessed enemies  to  the  way  of  our  churchts,"  became  con- 
verted by  the  teaching  of  the  Rev.  James  Parker,  of  Weymouth, 
"  a  godly  man,"  who  labored  with  them,  most  of  whom,  how- 
ever, fell  back  in  time,  embracing  this  present  world,  (n  Vol. 
93.)  In  1643  the  inhabitants  sent  Mr.  Parker  as  their  deputy 
to  the  General  Court  at  Boston,  humbly  saying,  "  in  the  state 
we  now  stand  we  know  not  whether  any  of  us  may  be  admitted 
to  a  Deputy."  i  Pr.  P.,  167. 

The  Reverend  Jabez  Fitch  was  pastor  of  the  North  Church 
from  1724  (when  he  came  from  Ipswich)  until  his  death  in 
1746.  His  historical  manuscript  above  referred  to  consists  of 
about  threescore  small  leaves  closely  written.  He  cites  few  au- 
thorities. A  fair  sample  of  his  style  is  afforded  ^y  the  follow- 
ing extract,  which  embraces  all  he  has  to  rema  k  upon  this  par- 
ticular point: 

"  These  combinations  continued  not  long  ;  for  the  number 
of  the  People  increasing  and  enormities  prevailing  to  such  a 
degree  that  they  could  not  be  suppressed  by  so  feeble  a  gov- 
ernment, and  the  Inhabitants  being  uncapable  to  defend  them- 
selves in  case  of  a  rupture  with  the  Indians  about  the  year  1642 
they  petitioned  the  Massachusetts  to  take  them  under  their 
Jurisdiction  &  Protection  by  whom  they  were  kindly  received 
and  admitted  to  the  same  privileges  with  themselves.  Repre- 
sentatives were  sent  from  hence  to  their  General  Court  and 
Major  Waldron  of  Dover  was  frequently  chosen  speaker  of  the 
House  of  Deputies.  Mr.  Thomas  Wiggin  Proprietor  of 
Swampscot  was  then  chosen  one  of  the  Magistrates.  Courts 
of  judicature  were  erected  in  Dover  and  Portsmouth.  But 
Exeter  was  annexed  to  the  County  of  Northfolk  which  was 
then  a  County  of  the  Massachusetts  consisting  of  the  towns  on 


Appendix  57 

Merrimack  River  and  Hampton  belonged  to  the  said  County, 
who  had  put  themselves  under  the  Massachusetts  from  the  be- 
ginning of  their  settlement 

"  It  was  a  very  favorable  Providence  which  then  brought 
this  People  under  the  Government  of  the  Massachusetts,  for 
by  this  means  Prophaneness  &  Immorality  were  discounte- 
nanced, and  a  Learned  Ministry  encouraged  to  settle  with  them, 
without  which  they  would  have  been  as  ignorant  and  heathen- 
ish as  some  other  parts  of  the  Kings  Dominions  in  America." 

Felt  characterizes  the  change  as  "  agreeable  to  those  who 
were  for  the  revolution  in  the  mother  country,  and  offensive  to 
such  as  were  opposed  to  it."  I  Eccl.  Hist.,  452. 

The  late  John  Scribner  Jenness  has  traced  with  a  vigorous 
hand  the  progress  of  the  Massachusetts  towards  an  assumption 
of  full  control  over  the  Pascataqua,  in  a  contribution  to  the 
early  history  of  his  native  state,  entitled  The  Piscataqua 
Patents  (Portsmouth,  Privately  Printed,  1878).  "  The  planters 
on  the  upper  Piscataqua,"  he  concludes,  "  were  torn  and  par- 
alysed by  civil  and  religious  disensions,  and  those  on  the 
lower  plantation,  who  since  Mason's  death  had  laid  claim  to 
the  ownership  of  the  lands  on  which  they  had  resided,  though 
without  any  legal  title,  and  now  lived  in  terror  of  Mason's  heir, 
even  they,  though  antipodal  in  every  sentiment  to  the  Bay  puri- 
tans, were  inclined  to  seek  protection  for  their  property  from 
the  strong  arm  of  the  Massachusetts."  Page  47. 

This  view,  from  a  writer  well  qualified  to  treat  of  the  subject, 
may  perhaps  be  accepted  as  upon  the  whole  just  and  rea- 
sonable. How  far  a  well  grounded  fear  of  dispossession  at 
the  hands  of  the  heir  of  Mason  may  have  operated,  it  is  diffi- 
cult if  not  impossible  to  discover.  Perhaps  it  tended  in  indi- 
vidual cases  to  make  easier  an  acquiescence  in  the  plan  of 
aggrandizement;  but  a  doubt  yet  lingers  over  the  origin  of  the 
movement,  whether  it  began  with  the  planters  themselves ;  and 
if  so,  how  large  a  number  favored  it.  Herein,  it  seems  to  me, 

lies  the  significance  of  the  silence  of  the  Massachusetts  records. 

8n 


68  Appendix 

According  to  Belknap,  "  the  affair  was  more  than  a  year  in 
agitation;"  and  it  seems  that  the  planters  were  tenacious  of 
their  privileges,  the  union  being  effected  only  upon  a  conces- 
sion that  the  Bay  people  must  have  found  it  hard  to  allow.  I 
refer  to  an  order  that  dispensed  with  church  membership  as  a 
condition  precedent  to  the  right  of  voting.  In  1631  the  Bay 
colony  had  restricted  the  franchise  to  such  only  as  were  church 
members;  and  says  Lechford  in  1640,  three  parts  of  the  people 
of  the  country  remain  out  of  the  church.  (Plaine  Dealing,  73.) 
As  late  as  1676  five-sixths  of  the  men  in  the  colony  were  non- 
voters  because  not  church  members,  i  Mem.  Hist.  Boston,  156. 

Of  the  exception  made  in  favor  of  the  Pascataqua  settlers, 
Felt  says  ingenuously  :  "  Could  the  Bay  authorities  have  had 
the  submission  of  Piscataqua  without  such  liberty,  they  would 
undoubtedly  have  preferred  it,  rather  than  granted  this  indul- 
gence, which  tended  to  weaken  its  opposite  and  continued  rule 
for  their  previous  jurisdiction."  \Eccl.Hist.  502. 

One  ground  for  deploring  the  loss  of  our  earliest  records  is, 
that  it  deprives  us  of  an  opportunity  of  tracing  the  origin  and 
growth  of  the  town  meeting.  It  would  be  highly  interesting 
to  know  when  the  first  meeting  was  held,  how  it  was  conducted, 
and  particularly  what  proportion  of  the  inhabitants  at  the  pe- 
riod of  union  with  the  Massachusetts  had  exercised  the  right 
of  freemen.  We  are  told  by  Belknap  that  Francis  Williams, 
sent  over  by  the  adventurers,  was  continued  as  Governor  "  by 
annual  suffrage."  ( Vol.  i.,p.  47.)  Williams  signs  the  grant 
of  the  glebe  in  1640,  as  "Governor,"  and  it  is  perhaps  fairly 
inferential  that  he  had  held  the  office  continuoysly,  but  I  fail 
to  discover  upon  what  evidence  Dr.  Belknap  bases  his  state- 
ment that  there  was  an  annual  election. 

Cranfield,  writing  in  1682,  speaks  of  the  old  record  book  of 
the  Province,  from  which  it  appeared  that  in  Captain  John 
Mason's  life  time  the  inhabitants  entered  into  a  combination  to 
govern  themselves  by  His  Majesty's  laws  as  well  as  they  could. 
"A  copy  of  which  I  have  herewith  sent,  "  he  adds  (Jenn.  Doc., 


Appendix  59 

127),  but  what  he  sends  turns  out  to  be  a  copy  from  the  orig- 
inal of  the  Dover  combination  of  1640,  with  all  the  signatures. 
(/#.,  36.)  Hubbard,  in  1680,  speaks  of  this  instrument  as  "left 
upon  record."  If  Cranfield  had  before  him  the  record  of  com- 
binations bearing  an  earlier  date  than  1640  (and  he  could  not 
have  been  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  Mason  died  about  Novem- 
ber, 1635,)  it  is  a  P^y  that  ne  did  not  transmit  a  copy  that 
would  have  borne  out  his  statement.  He  is  to  be  understood 
as  giving  the  Lords  of  the  Committee  information  in  the  line 
of  contention  made  by  the  opponents  of  the  Mason  claim.  A 
Letter  from  the  Council  of  Neiv  Hampshire  to  tJie  King,  3 1  May, 
1681,  indicates  the  existence  at  that  date  at  Portsmouth  of 
the  Strawberry  Bank  Combination  :  "  We  were  possessed  of 
the  Soyle  long  before  the  Massachusetts  medled  with  us.  In- 
deed we  at  length  desired  them  to  govern  us,  when  experience 
had  taught  as  yt  by  our  Combinations  where  into  we  entered 
(the  originals  of  which  signed  by  the  Inhabitants  are  yet  ex- 
tant) to  prevent  the  confusion  of  Anarchy  we  could  not  govern 
ourselves  "  (/#.,  100.)  It  may  be  added  that  George  Burdett, 
in  a  letter  to  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  29  November, 
1638,  urges  that  measures  be  taken  to  settle  His  Majesty's 
Government  in  the  Pascataqua,  "there  yet  being  none  but  com- 
binacons ;  because  ye  severall  patents  upon  ye  river  are  thought 
to  comprize  no  commission  of  jurisdiction."  (/#.,  32.)  In  the 
first  volume  of  the  records  at  Exeter,  of  the  courts  held  at 
Dover  and  Portsmouth,  page  14,  is  an  entry  "John  Pickering 
inioyned  to'  deliver  the  old  combination  at  Strawberry  banck 
the  next  Court."  The  next  court  was  holden  at  Dover  5.  5  • 
mo.,  1643. 

There  are  reasons,  therefore,  to  believe  that  Cranfield  spoke 
correctly,  when  he  said  that  as  early  as  the  life  time  of  Mason 
a  combination  was  in  force.  The  town  meeting  must  have 
sprung  into  being  about  the  same  period,  so  we  may  not  be  far 
wrong,  even  were  we  to  assign  1635  as  the  year  when  our  town 
records  were  begun. 


60  Appendix 

Upon  Cranfield  assuming  the  office  of  Governor  of  the 
Province  in  1682,  Captain  Elias  Stileman  delivered  up  the  books 
and  papers  on  file  in  the  office  of  secretary  to  the  new  incumb- 
ent, Richard  Chamberlain.  Among  the  Province  records  there 
appears  to  have  been  a  book,  bearing  date  1640,  and  certain 
"old  records  before  Capt.  Stileman's  time."  This  early  book 
long  ago  disappeared.  We  are  left  to  gather  most  of  the  history 
of  the  first  ten  years  of  the  union  from  the  Massachusetts 
colonial  records,  where  reference  to  events  at  Strawberry  Bank 
is  infrequent,  and  details  are  extremely  meagre.  A  few  facts 
are  to  be  gojt  from  the  court  records  at  Exeter,  but  they  per- 
tain rather  to  individuals  than  to  political  history.  There  is 
nothing  to  show  how  the  Church  of  England  party  fared,  or 
what  were  their  numbers  ;  but  such  signs  as  we  have  tend  to 
establish  the  fact  that  those  of  the  Puritan  way  of  thinking  kept 
.themselves  in  power,  and  managed  affairs  pretty  much  after 
their  own  fashion. 

It  was  between  1638  and  1644  that  the  agents  and  stewards 
of  Mason  took  possession  of  the  buildings  and  improvements 
belonging  to  his  estate,  and  divided  among  themselves  his  goods 
and  the  cattle.  The  Great  House,  whose  possession  was  in 
some  sense  the  insignia  of  authority  passed  in  1647  into  the 
hands  of  Richard  Cutt,  a  strict  Puritan,  while  the  extensive 
lands  adjoining  (covering  what  is  now  the  heart  of  Portsmouth,) 
were  parcelled  out  among  the  selectmen  of  the  town,  of  whom 
Cutt  was  a  leading  spirit.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  same 
George  Walton,  at  whose  house  the  spoliation  of  1652  was  com- 
mitted, gave  his  deposition  in  1685,  at  the  age  of  seventy,  re- 
citing, among  other  seizures,  the  fate  of  the  Great  House;  and 
saying  that  "to  his  particular  knowledge  the  servants  sent  over 
by  Capt.  Mason,  of  which  some  are  living,  and  those  descended 
from  them  which  are  many,  have  been  and  are  the  most  violent 
opposers  of  the  now  proprietor,  Robert  Mason,  Esquire." 

Whatever  some  future  disclosure  may  reveal  of  the  methods 
adopted  by  the  Bay  leaders  to  bring  under  subjection  the 


Appendix  61 

settlement  at  Strawberry  Bank,  it  is  quite  apparent  that  a  sub- 
mission once  had,  those  wary  and  resolute  magistrates  enforced 
a  rigid  rule,  never  for  a  moment  relaxing  their  efforts  to  render 
the  lease  of  power  indefinite  in  duration,  by  the  simple  expe- 
dient of  entrusting  administration  to  a  few  only  of  the  inhabi- 
tants, selected  because  they  were  zealous  Puritans.  The  strug- 
gle in  England,  resulting  in  the  ascendancy  of  Cromwell,  was 
not  without  its  share  of  influence  upon  the  project  of  supplant- 
ing here  such  as  were  known  to  stand  by  Church  and  King.  It 
must  have  been  no  slight  task,  however,  to  imbue  with  Puritan 
sentiments  a  community  so  hostile  to  the  Massachusetts  polity 
as  were  the  settlers  of  the  lower  Pascataqua.  In  1642  Richard 
Gibson,  the  incumbent  of  the  parsonage  for  whom  the  glebe  had 
been  granted  two  years  before,  fell  under  the  displeasure  of  the 
Bay.  "  He  being  wholly  addicted  to  the  hierachy  and  discipline 
of  England,  did  exercise  a  ministerial  function  in  the  same  way, 
and  did  marry  and  baptise  at  the  Isle  of  Shoals,  which  was  now 
found  to  be  within  our  jurisdiction."  So  says  Winthrop.  (  Vol. 
\\.,page  79.)  The  Court  charged  him  with  denying  their  title, 
and  summoned  him  to  Boston,  but  they  forbore  to  administer 
punishment  upon  his  submission,  "  being  a  stranger  and  about 
to  depart  the  country."  With  such  a  beginning  as  this,  it  be- 
came a  question  of  time  how  long  it  would  take  to  convert  the 
people  to  new  ways  of  thinking. 

The  Mason  claim,  as  may  well  be  supposed,  played  an  im- 
portant part  in  the  course  of  events  that  followed  the  assump- 
tion by  the  Bay  colony  of  territorial  jurisdiction  over  the  Pas- 
cataqua. Owing  to  the  civil  war  in  England  active  measures 
had  ceased  for  asserting  the  rights  of  the  Mason  estate,  until 
at  length  in  1650  Robert  Tufton  Mason,  the  heir,  became  of 
age.  The  next  year  found  Joseph  Mason  at  Strawberry  Bank, 
sent  over  by  Mistress  Ann,  the  widow  and  executrix  of  Captain 
John  Mason.  His  presence  here  while  taking  steps  to  enforce 
the  title  of  those  whom  he  represented  as  agent,  must  have 
created  something  of  a  stir.  The  party  in  power,  we  may  well 


62  Appendix 

believe,  threw  every  obstacle  in  his  way ;  but  as  he  was  disposed 
to  enter  into  some  reasonable  arrangement  with  those  who  had 
lived  upon  the  land  and  improved  it,  there  were  some,  it  is 
likely,  who  though  poor  stood  ready  to  recognize  the  rights  of 
Capt.  John  Mason's  heir,  and  to  make  terms  for  a  title. 

At  least,  Champernowne  and  others  who  had  not  abandoned 
their  church,  and  who  chafed  under  the  Puritan  rule,  could  not 
have  been  slow  to  treat  the  agent  of  the  Masons  with  courtesy, 
and  to  listen  to  hear  what  proposals  he  had  brought.  For 
those  who  had  long  aad  patiently  endured  a  government  they 
bitterly  disliked,  Joseph  Mason's  arrival  in  the  Pascataqua, 
it  is  more  than  probable,  was  a  signal  for  venturing  upon  a 
scheme  of  relief.  While  I  know  of  no  proof  that  Mason  was 
connected  with  the  scheme,  it  happens  that  just  about  this  time 
(in  the  summer  of  1651)  the  discontent  of  the  planters  bore 
fruit,  and  certain  daring  spirits  made  the  attempt  to  rise  and 
free  the  settlement  from  the  domination  of  the  Bay.  The  little 
we  are  permitted  to  know  of  this  outbreak  is  to  be  gathered 
from  the  urgent  language  of  a  letter  despatched  from  Boston, 
under  date  of  6th  September,  1651,  by  the  Governor  to  that 
sturdy  helper  of  the  Bay,  Captain  Thomas  Wiggin,  "  at  Swamp- 
scot,  in  Piscataqua."  The  malcontents  had  gone  so  far  as  to 
call  a  town  meeting  "  to  joyne  together  in  their  way  to  appoynt 
a  governor."  This  coming  to  Endicott's  ears,  he  promptly  en- 
joins his  alert  and  ever-trusty  Wiggin  to  find  out  who  are  in 
the  design,  and  who  is  to  be  named  Governor.  .  The  principal 
actors,  says  the  despatch  grimly,  must  be  forthwith  sent  to 
prison  at  Boston,  to  answer  their  rebellion  at  the  General 
Court,  (i  Pr.  P.,  195  ;  in  Col.  Rec.,  443.)  The  record  is  si- 
lent as  to  further  proceedings ;  but  we  need  not  question  that 
the  strong  arm  of  the  Bay  government  easily  quelled  the  dis- 
turbance. 

To  test  the  right  of  the  heir  in  the  courts,  Joseph  Mason 
brought  an  action  of  trespass  against  Richard  Leader  for  en- 
croaching upon  lands  at  Newichewannock.  After  delays  the 


Appendix  63 

plaintiff  got  a  verdict ;  but  the  sequel  shows  it  to  have  been  of 
little  avail  in  settling  the  question  of  title.  The  pendency  of 
this  suit,  or  a  knowledge  that  it  was  to  be  instituted,  appears 
to  have  had  the  effect  of  precipitating  the  action  of  the  Bay 
colony  in  regard  to  the  northerly  bound  of  their  patent. 

Perhaps  a  single  word  of  explanation  is  necessary  to  make 
this  statement  intelligible  to  a  reader  not  familiar  with  the  story 
of  the  Mason  patent. 

The  patent  to  the  Massachusetts  gave  them  "all  the  lands 
which  be  within  the  space  of  three  English  miles  to  the  north- 
ward of  the  river  called  Merrymack,  or  to  the  northward  of  any 
and  every  part  thereof."  There  seems  every  reason  to  believe 
that  this  language  was  intended  to  be  applied  to  a  river  run- 
ning east  from  west,  as  does  the  Merrimack  for  some  dis- 
tance before  falling  into  the  sea;  and  as  it  was  supposed  to  run 
throughout  its  entire  course.  So  the  Massachusetts  themselves 
at  first  thought,  when  in  1631  they  built  a  bound-house,  three 
miles  north  of  the  Merrimack,  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Sea- 
brook.  Such  at  any  rate  was  the  interpretation  given  by  the 
Lord  Chief  Justices,  and  approved  by  the  King  and  Council,  in 
1677,  in  proceedings  that  led  to  the  establishment  of  the  Prov- 
ince of  New  Hampshire,  after  a  determination  that  Portsmouth, 
Dover,  Exeter  and  Hampton  were  out  of  the  bounds  of  Massa- 
chusetts, i  Belknap,  137. 

But  the  Bay  leaders  with  great  ingenuity  and  equal  perti- 
nacity insisted  upon  the  forced  construction  that  the  terms 
of  their  patent  gave  them  a  right  to  go  three  miles  north  of 
the  source  of  the  Merrimack  (Lake  Winnepiseogee,)and  thence 
run  an  east  and  west  line  as  the  northern  limit  of  their  territory. 
This  construction  they  formally  voted  to  adopt  31  May,  1652, 
and  sent  commissioners  to  run  the  line  from  that  point  to  the 
sea,  who  did  their  work  and  reported  in  October  following. 
The  boundary  thus  marked  swept  in  the  Mason  patent,  and 
that  part  of  Maine  lying  south  of  Clapboard  Island  in  Casco 
Bay. 


64  Appendix 

Though  they  did  not  scruple  to  assert  a  claim  to  the  terri- 
tory clear  to  the  Pascataqua  as  early  as  1641,  and  indeed 
made  it  a  ground  for  extending  their  government  hither,  it  is 
worthy  to  be  noted  that  the  Massachusetts  authorities  re- 
frained at  that  time  from  pushing  the  claim  into  an  undue 
prominence.  The  preamble  of  the  order  announcing  the  union 
simply  says  "  it  appeareth  that. . .  .the  ryver  of  Pascataquack 
is  within,  etc."  i  Pr.  P.,  158 ;  I  Col.  R.  319. 

Ten  years  later,  it  seems  to  have  been  suffered  to  remain  as 
a  point,  not  yet  settled,  if  we  may  judge  from  the  expres- 
sions found  in  a  petition,  bearing  date  October,  1651,  that 
came  up  from  Strawberry  Bank,  humbly  praying  to  be  laid 
out  as  a  township.  The  signers  (five  in  number)  were  friendly 
to  the  Bay,  yet  they  speak  as  if  in  doubt  as  to  the  jurisdiction  : 
"  If  soe  we  are  yours  by  streching  of  ye  Line  ";  and  again, 
"  If  by  stretching  of  the  Lyne  the  Lands  bee  within  your  juris- 
diction ;  if  not  then  to  leave  both  our  persons,  lands  &  all 
freelye  to  our  selves,  as  formerly  we  were  before  you  took  us 
into  your  Governt."  i  Pr.  P.,  192. 

It  is  perhaps  not  too  much  to  say  that  the  Bay  people  dis- 
played great  shrewdness  in  the  mode  of  setting  up  their  claim 
at  the  outset,  and  then  in  biding  their  opportunity  to  enforce 
it  by  a  formal  vote,  and  by  running  the  line. 

This  same  year  the  Bay  brought  under  their  rule  the  towns 
of  Kittery  and  York  (Agamenticus)  in  spite  of  the  vigorous 
opposition  of  many  under  the  lead  of  Edward  Godfrey.  The 
year  1652,  therefore,  marks  a  new  era  in  the  conduct  of  the 
Massachusetts  towards  their  neighbors  to  the  eastward.  To 
quote  from  Robert  Mason's  Title  (drawn  up  in  1674)  which  to 
be  sure  reads  like  an  indictment:  "  They  did  in  the  yeare  1652, 
in  a  hostile  manner  invade  the  County  of  Hampshire,  compell- 
ing the  Loyall  Inhabitants  to  a  submission,  imposing  taxes 
upon  them  for  to  supporte  their  new  acquired  greatness,  etc." 
Jenn.  Doc.,  57.  See  also  i  Belknap,  304. 


Appendix  65 

We  find  too  the  author  of  New  England's  Vindication, 
printed  at  London  in  1660,  writing  in  the  following  strain  of  the 
ambitious  designs  of  the  Boston  people:  "  Let  it  be  observed 
that  if  in  ten  years  they  came  to  this  height,  what  in  these 
twenty,  having  so  inriched  themselves  in  Wealth,  Strength, 
and  Fortifications,  that  if  they  Fortifie  Piscataqua  River  for 
themselves  as  they  have  subjugated  it,  and  now  Arm  against 
the  Dutch  new  Neatherland,  with  their  united  Collonies,  they 
may  be  invincible  States  of  America."  Page  7. 

That  a  connection  exists  between  this  march  of  events  and 
the  spoliation  of  our  town  records  has  no  doubt  occur- 
red to  the  reader.  He  can  scarcely  avoid  a  conviction  that 
it  must  have  been  vitally  important  for  our  energetic  and  ag- 
gressive neighbors  to  be  able,  while  asserting  claim  of  title 
beyond  their  conceded  borders,  to  remove  all  fear  of  being 
confronted  by  evidence  at  variance  with  their  pretensions, 
drawn  from  the  local  records.  It  is  by  no  means  unlikely  that 
the  pages  of  the  old  Strawberry  Bank  town-book  revealed  a  his- 
tory that  invited  its  destruction.  There  are  some  who  think 
they  discern  in  the  general  conduct  of  the  Massachusetts  to- 
wards the  other  settlements,  a  studied  plan  of  seizing  upon  ter- 
ritory and  following  up  the  occupation  of  it  by  a  suppression 
of  every  recorded  entry  that  might  make  against  their  claim. 
Such  views  can  hardly  be  dismissed  as  distorted  or  unjust,  in 
face  of  the  fact  that  as  new-comers  in  distinct  localities  the  ad- 
vent of  the  Massachusetts  authorities  is  attended  almost  im- 
mediately with  a  disappearance  of  early  records. 

But  leaving  to  future  exploration  the  interesting  question 
how  far  the  spoliation  of  1652  is  to  be  attributed  to  the  settled 
policy  of  the  Massachusetts  to  fortify  their  claim  of  title,  let 
us  try  to  account  for  it  by  reasons  lying  within  a  somewhat 
narrower  compass.  We  observe  that  after  ten  years  the  au- 
thorities had  come  at  last  to  feel  the  ground  firm  under  their 
feet.  Everything  tends  to  show  that  from  henceforth  nobody 
is  to  question  the  character  of  their  title  to  the  soil  Certain 


66  Appendix 

it  is  that  all  the  signs  of  the  time  point  to  a  determination  by 
the  rulers  of  the  Bay  to  begin  a  new  order  of  things.  They 
were  ready  to  treat  the  disaffected  with  a  yet  firmer  hand. 
Some  individuals  there  doubtless  were  to  whom  the  town  had 
voted  grants,  which  though  entered  upon  the  town-book  had 
not  as  yet  been  laid  out.  These  grants  should  be  rendered 
null.  Acres  of  outlying  land  awaited  the  order  of  the  authori- 
ties to  be  parcelled  out  among  the  townspeople — marsh, 
meadow  and  forest  as  yet  uncleared. 

Is  it  not  likely  that  to  this  critical  period  much  is  justly  ap- 
plicable that  is  complained  of  thirteen  years  later  to  the  King 
at  the  restoration,  complained  of  by  such  men  as  Champer- 
nowne,  Corbet,  Sherborn,  Sloper,  Hunking  and  Atkinson, 
not  to  mention  others?  For  several  years  past  (such  is  the 
burden  of  their  petition  in  1665)  five  or  six  of  the  richest  men 
have  ordered  all  offices,  denying  us  the  benefit  of  freemen  and 
church  privileges  ;  managing  to  get  into  their  hands  the  lands 
for  themselves,  so  that  "  honest  men  who  have  been  here  a 
considerable  time  have  no  lands  at  all  given  them,  and  some 
that  have  lands  given  and  laid  out  to  them,  the  said  contrary 
party  have  disowned  the  grants  and  laid  it  out  to  others" 
Jenn.  Doc.  48 

Let  the  reader  turn  to  the  entry  in  the  town-book  which  has 
furnished  the  subject  of  this  note,  and  he  will  see  recorded  on 
the  same  date  a  list  of "  outlets  granted  to  the  inhabitants." 
(Page  20.)  Not  many  months  before  this  (in  April  1652,)  the 
selectmen  had  ordained  that  all  grants  previously  made  should 
be  subject  to  their  power  to  confirm  or  not,  as  they  should  see 
fit,  an  exercise  of  authority  that  tells  its  own  story.  (Page  16.) 
By  resorting  to  the  early  records  in  the  Suffolk  registry 
of  deeds,  we  find  at  least  one  instance  where  a  grant  by  Straw- 
berry Bank  to  a  settler  was  made  in  1645,  yet  there  is  no  trace 
of  it  in  the  entries  copied  into  "the  new  book  ;"  so  we  may  infer 
that  these  entries  do  not  embrace  every  grant  made  by  the 
town  previous  to  January,  1652.  Nicholas  Shapleigh,  late  of 


Appendix  67 

Strawberry  Bank  grants  to  Thomas  Beard,  of  Dover,  by  deed 
acknowledged  22  May,  1645,  house  and  land  at  Strawberry 
Bank,  to  wit,  foure  Acres  enclosed  &  six  score  Acres  more  or 
less  granted  by  the  towne  together  with  the  maish  thereto  be- 
longing &  all  his  Right  to  any  lands  yet  to  be  divided,  (i  Suf- 
folk Deeds,  60.)  Nicholas  Shapleigh  was  a  Quaker,  and  an  op- 
ponent of  the  Bay  people. 

Till  better  explanation  be  reached,  are  we  not  brought  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  inroad  made  upon  the  town  records  was 
designed  in  part  to  cut  off  grants  and  privileges  from  certain  of 
the  settlers  who  were  out  of  favor  with  the  party  in  power  ?  A 
summary  and  convenient  way  was  thus  presented  of  throwing 
into  the  hands  of  the  selectmen  the  whole  body  of  outlying 
land,  to  be  parcelled  out  in  conformity  with  a  new  order  of 
things,  irrespective  of  what  had  been  the  relative  prominence 
and  dignity  of  the  planters,  as  shown  upon  the  pages  of 
the  old  town-book.  Perhaps,  too,  there  were  those  who 
had  taken  part  in  the  seditious  movement  of  1651,  and  who 
should  thus  be  made  to  feel  how  futile  it  was  to  attempt  to  resist 
the  power  of  the  Bay  government.  In  fine,  so  far  as  the  old 
town-book  spoke  of  chartered  rights  belonging  to  any  one  who 
was  in  disfavor,  it  should  be  silenced. 

Not  that  this  in  many  instances  affected  the  title  of  lands  in 
possession,  but  the  disposition  of  lands  not  already  occupied 
was  of  great  moment,  and  could  be  used  with  telling  effect. 
The  book  was  kept  in  the  hands  of  Puritan  selectmen,  and  it 
was  not  in  the  nature  of  the  times  probably  to  lay  it  open  to 
such  general  inspection  as  would  be  the  case  in  these  later  ' 
days. 

I  do  not  indulge  in  any  reflection  upon  the  character  of  the 
motives  that  may  have  prompted  this  act,  nor  do  I  forget  that 
it  is  to  be  judged,  if  at  all,  by  a  standard  far  different  from  that 
of  the  present  time. 

That  the  book  may  have  contained  entries  favorable  to  the 
Mason  title,  and  that  these  were  suppressed  to  keep  them  from 


68  Appendix 

being  used  by  Mason's  agent,  is  a  conjecture  unworthy,  it  seems 
to  me,  of  even  a  passing  consideration. 

P.  32,  /.  9.  The  island  granted  to  Anthony  Ellins,  between 
John  Wotton's  (Muskito  Hall)  and  (Hampering  (Leach's) 
Island  must  have  been  what  is  now  called  Pest  Island.  The 
former  name  of  Pest  Island  appears  to  have  been  Anthony — 
possibly  dating  back  to  the  ownership  of  Ellins.  There  was  a 
pest  house  on  Anthony  Island  in  1740.  v.  Pr.  P.,  60,  124. 

P.  36,  /.  26.  This  confirmation  appears  to  include  what  is 
now  Noble's  Island.  There  is  a  record  of  June,  1650,  of  a 
conveyance  by  Ambrose  Lane  (who  got  title  from  Sampson 
Lane)  to  John  Jackson,  cooper,  of  "  all  that  house  and  oute 
houses  Inclosed  lands  and  commons  with  sixe  acers  of  marsh 
belonging  unto  the  same  lying  between  the  ould  doctor's  marsh 
[See  page  15,  1.  8]  and  the  Creeke  beinge  the  marsh  sometime 
belonging  to  the  great  house  comonly  called  by  the  name  of 
the  plimmoth  plantation  with  the  appurtenancies  thereunto  be- 
longing beinge  the  houses  and  lands  wherein  on  John  Crouther 
lived  in  and  commonly  called  Crowther's  house  lyinge  and 
beinge  within  Strawberry  Banke  aforesaid  except  the  Hand  ly- 
inge and  being  on  the  norther  side  of  the  sayd  house  by  esti- 
mation eight  acres  or  thereabouts."  n  MS.  C.  R.,  5.  John 
Jackson  (and  his  wife  Joan)  conveyed  the  Hand  25  June,  1660, 
to  Thomas  Jackson,  cooper,  and  speaks  of  it  as  "  confermed  to 
the  sd  John  Jackson  by  the  selectmen  of  Ports  in  1656  signed 
under  their  hands  &  annexed  to  ye  said  deed  of  Mr  Lane's 
aforesaid."  The  grant  was  "  together  with  all  the  trees  and 
wood  fallen  &:  unf alien."  /#.,  37. 

The  entries  at  pages  29  and  31  indicate  that  the  island  for 
a  while  bore  the  name  of  other  occupants,  viz:  Thomas  Furson, 
and  afterward,  Roger  Knight. 


INDRX 


Abbett  Richard  38 

Abbit  Walter  20,  21,  22,  23,  24,  25, 

26,  37,  38,  39 
Abbite  Walter  13 
Abbot  James  40 
Johnsr40 
"     jr40 
Peter  40 
Reuben  42 
Adams  8 

John  40 

Agamenticus  46,  64 
Akerman  Bn  41 
Allcock  Joseph  43 
widow  42 
Allen  Charles  38 
Allmery  John  42 
Robt  42 
widow  43 

Amenteene  John  39 
Amos  William  40 
Anthony  Inland  68 
Armstrong  Robert  jr  42 
Atkins  Joseph  38 
Atkinson  66 
Avery  Thomas  38 
Ayres  Abraham  42 
Ed  41 
George  43 
Thos  42 

Bab  Peter  vede  40 
Bacheller  Alex  23,  28,  36,  38.  46 
Ann  46 


1  Bachelor  Allixsander  14,  20 
Bachiller  Ellixander  13,  21 
Ball  Peter  40 

Sam  pson  41 
Ballech  Joseph  40 
;  Banfield  Charles  40 
George  40 
Hugh  40 

Barnes  Abraham  40 
Thomas  40 
William  40 
Bartton  Edward  17 

goodman  15,23,31,36,38 
Bay  Colony  The  55,  58,  63,  64 
Beard  Thomas  67 
Becke  Hi-nry  20,  38,  40 
Beckman  William  40 
Beekford  Henry  40 
Bell  Charles  H'll 
Bellingum  Thomas  18 
Belknap  7,  8,51,  58,  64 
Benmore  Philip  39 
Bennett  John  5 

William  43 
Berry  Joseph  42 

William  15,  17,  20,  21,  22, 

23,  26,  30.  31 
Berwick  Falls  7 
Biddeford  46 
Bishop  mr  43 
Bladen  William  40 
Blashfield  Thomas  42 
Boston  1,  14,  56,  61.  62,  65 


70 


Index 


Bowie  Dr  43 
Bracket  Anthony  13 
Brackit  Anthony  17,  21 ,  22.  23,  26, 
31,33,34,35,36, 
37,38 

Brakite  Antony  20 
Brews ter  Charles  W  2 
John  39,  43 

"      jr  43 
Samuel  43 
Briard  Elisha  41 
Bridgeman  mr  42 
Brookin  William  13,  20,  23,  28 
Broughton  Thomas  39 
Brown  Henry  40 

Joshua  41 

Nicholas  40 

Samuel  42 

Browne  mr  34,  35,  37 
Bufford  Marcellus  3,  12 
Burciett  George  59 
Burne  Ralph  41 
Buruham  Edward  P  52 
Bushbi  e  Robert  39 
Buss  Joseph  42 
Calef  Jere  42,  43 
Campion  Clement  30,  31,  50 

mr  20 

Campion's  Necke  34,  50 
Canterbury  59 
Carter  Jere  43 

John  43 
Casco  'Bay  63 
Cater  Ed  42 
Caverley  Moshes  43 
Center  Abraham  43 
Chamberlain  Richard  60 
Champernon   Capt  20,  23,  27,  28, 
29   33,  ;{5.  37 
Francis  30,  37,  62,  66 
Chanler  old  33 
Chaterton  goodman  20 
Christian  Shore  50 
Churchill  John  42 
Clampering  Island  15,31, 42,  46,  68 
Clapboard  Island  53 
Clark    Josiah  42 
Samuel  41 
Clarke  Edward  38 

John  41 
Cod  James  42 
Cole  Edward  43 


Thomas  42 
Colmer  Abraham  5 
Combination  at  Strawberry  Bank 

8  59 
Commins  Richard  21,  23,  34,  36, 

37,  39 

Commons  Richard  20 
Corbett  Abraham  39,  66 
Cotton  Benjamin  40 
Solomon  40 
Thomas  40 

William  20,  21,  22,  23,  24, 
25,  26,  23,  29,  38. 
39,  41,  42 
"        jr  40 
Court  Records  45,  49,  59,  60 

Street  46 

Cranfield  58,   59,  60 
Crocker  Thomas  42 
Cromwell  61 
Cross  Richard  42 
Crouther  John  17,  31,  68 
Crowder  John  36 
Curryer  Jeff  39 
Cut  John  27,  39 

Richard  13,  16.  20,  21,  22,  23, 
24,  25,  26,  27,  28,  29, 
33,  37,  38 
Cutts  John  42 

Richard  42,  60 
Davis  John  40,  42 

Robert  13,  31,  38 
Timothy  41 
Deane  Charles  6,  7,  11 
Denerson  John  41 

widow  40 

Dennet  Elizabeth  41 
Ephraim  41 
Moses  41 
Oliver  43 

Dennis  Thomas  39 
Dent  Abraham  40 
Ditte  Francis  42 
Dodge  Noah  40 

Dover  14,  18,  22,  34,  45,  46,  49, 
56    59,  63,  67 
Point  6 

Downing  Joseph  43 
Drake  Francis  29,  35,  37,  38 

foodman  34 
ane  31 
Nathaniel  31,  36,  37,  38 


Index 


71 


Draper  Doctor  43 
Drew  John  42 
Drown  Daniel  P  5 

Thomas  P  5 
Dunnel  Bn  42 
Earle  William  39 
Eburn  Eliza  41 
Elberdson  Elberd  42 
Ellins  Anthony  15,  20,  23,  31,  32, 

37,  38,  68 
Kichard  42 

"       jr  43 
Elliot  Robert  38 
Ellos  John  40 
Elwyn  John  49,  51,  52 
Endicott  62 
Euins  William  20,  21 
Evans  John  4 
Exeter  56,  60,  63 

Records  9,  45,  47,  48,  49,  59 
Eyers  mr  38 
Fairweather  William  43 
Fanning  Joseph  40 
Fellows  William  42 
Felt  57,  58 

Fenlayson  Walter  43 
Fcrnald  Amos  43 

Renald  4, 10, 13, 15,  16, 
17,  18.19,20,21, 
22,28,24,  25,26, 
27,30,31,  32,33, 
34,  35,  36,  37, 45, 
48,  50,  53 
Samuel  4 
widow  38 
Field  John  42 

The  Old  Doctor's  16, 31,  48 
Fitch  Jabez  51,  56 
Fletcher  John  4 
Folsom  46 
Footbridge  48 
Ford  John  41 
Forte  Poynt  36 
Foss  John  38 

William  40 
Foster  Benjamin  50 
Fresh  Marsh  Creek  42 
Frethy  Elizabeth  46 
John  46 
Samuel  46 
William  13,  46 
Fryer  Nathaniel  39 


Furbur  John  40 

Furson  Thomas  31,  38,  68 

Gambling  Benjamin  42 

Gardner  David  42 

Gatchel  Capt  42 

Gearish  Nathaniel  40 

Georgeana  46 

Gerrish  Paul  42 
Richard  41 

Gibbins  Ambrose  49,  50 

Gibson  Richard  61 

Gilden  John  41 

Glebe  grant  of  8,  17,  29 

Gleeden  Charles  39 

Godfrey  Edward  64 

Goodrich  Mercer  12 

Grassam  Caleb  42 

Stephen  39 

Great  Bay  14,  29,  35 

House  15,  48,  60,  68 
Island  7,  15,  ]6,  17,  19,  46L 

47,  49,  50 
Pond  17,  48 

Green  street  50 

Greene  goodman   16 
Edmuud  39 

Greenland  35 

Gieenleaf  Abner  3 

Stephen  40 

Greley  Thomas  40 

Griffin  Ph  38 

Grindall  mr  43 

Haddon  42 

Hains  Samuel  21,  27,  29,  33,  37 

Hall  John  38 

Ham  John  42 
Samuel  43 

Hame  goodman  24,  25 
Mathew  bO,  37,  38 
William  20,  23,  24,  37,  38 

Hamet  Thomas  43 

Hampshire  64 

Hampton  34,  57,  63 

Harris  Thomas  43 

Harrison  John  40 

Hart  John  20.  38 
Samuel  43 
William  43 

Harvey  Thomas  42 

Hatch  widow  41 

Haynes  Samuel  38 

Heard's  Necke  (John)  23 


Index 


Hewes  Clement  41 
Solomon  41 
Hill  John  42 

Valentine  38 
Hilton  6 

Hinckson  Thomas  38 
Holmes  Joseph  43 

Laz  40 

Hubbard  5,   7,   59 
Humber   Huphry  32 
Humpkins  Arcullus  20,  23,  27,  29 

food  man  29 
[ercules  32,  38,  38 
John  24,  25 

Hunking 66 

Mark  39 
Mary  42 

Hunkins  William  41 
Huntress  Daniel  3 
Hurde  John  48 
Ingram  Moses  42 
Ipswich  56 
Islington  Creek  50 
Jackson  Daniel  41 

Ephrairn  39 

Joan  68 

John  13,  20,  26, 28,  29,  30, 

36,  37, 38,  68 
"     senior  39 
"      junior  43 
Nathaniel  41 
Eichard  38 
Sarah  41 
Thomas  39,   68 
Jaflfrey  George  41 
James  Matthew  43 
Jaquith   Hemy  39 
Jefferson  Hall  2 
Jeffries  James  41 
Jcnness  John  Scribner  6,  45,  57 
Johnson   Harry  43 

James  13,  16,  17,  18,  20. 
21,  22,  :>3,  25,  28, 
33,  34,  36,  37,  38, 
39,  50 
John  39 

Jonathan   The  5 
Jones  Abram  40 
Capt  41 

Ellixsander  20,  32,  39 
George  39 

John  13,  20,  22,  23,  24,  25, 
32,  37,  38,  41 


Jos  Charles  41 
Richard  42 
Kate  Ed  junr  43 
Keais  Samuel   4 
Keese   Henry  42 
Kennard  John    42 
Kennestone  John  39 
Kettle  John  39" 
King  Richard  31,  47 
Kittery  22,  64 
Knigh    Anne  30 
George  42 
John  41 
Roger  9, 13,  15,  20,  29.  30, 

31,  32,  38,  68 
Knowles  William  40 
Laconia  Company  The  7 
Landell    Thomas  42 
Lane  Ambrose  15.  18,  20,  24, 47,  68 

Sampson  47,  68 
Lang  John  40 

Robert  41 
Langdon   Capt  43 

Tobias   53 

"      junr  42 
Toby  38 

Lange   Stephen  40 
Langley  Thomas  43 
Lavers  Jacob  41 
Leach  James  37,  38,  43 

Zach  40 

Leach's  Island  47,  68 
Leader  mr  20,  23 

Richard  18,  62 
Lear  John  41 
Lechford  58 

Letherby  Thomas  junr  42 
Lewis  Jenkin  42 

Phillip  22,  37,  38 
William  42 
Libbey  James  41 
Jere  42 
John  42 

Libby  Jeremiah  4 
Little  Harbor  5.  7 
Lock  John  38,  33 
London  65 
Loud  William  42 
Lovell  Splan  41 
Lovett  Jumes  39 

Michael  40 
Lucey  Benjamin  41 
Lux  William  39 


Index 


73 


Mackpheadris  Archibald  42 
Maine  63 
Maine  Thomas  40 
Man  widow  41 
Mansfield  widow  24 
Manson  Samuel  43 
Marden  John  39,  43 
Market  Street  50 
Marshall  George  41 

Humphrey  42 
Martyn  Mary  41 

Richard  4,  38,  41 
Mason  Ann  61 

Capt  John  4,  7, 8, 47, 48, 49, 
55,  57,  58,  59,  60, 
61,  62,  63 

Joseph  61,  62 

mr  20,  24,  38 

Robert  60,  61,  64,  67,  68 
Massachusetts  Bay  6,   9,  51,   52, 
55,  56,  57,  58, 
59,  60,  61,  63, 
64,  65 

Hist'l.  Soc.  51 
Mastell  Robert  23 
Mattean  Houbert  27 
Matthew  James  43 
Matthews  Francis  47,  48 
Thomasine  48 
Mattoone  Robert  38 
Maxfield  Benjamin  40 
Mayn  Thomas  42 
Meade  Joseph  40 
Meeting  House  The  14,  16,  46 
Melcher  Edward  38 

Nathaniel  40 
Mendom  Nathaniel  42 
Merrimack  57,  63 
Mill  Dam  16 

Pond  48,  50 
Miller  Alexander  40 

Benjamin  41 

Joseph  40,  43 
Mills  47 

Molton  Joseph  42 
Montgomery  43 
Moodey  Joshua  11 
Moor  Thomas  43 
Moore  Thomas  40 
Morris  William  38 
Morse  Obadiah  42 
Moses  James  40 


Moss  Jos  39 

Moulton  John  40 

Mosses  Joseph  43 

Moysis  John  20,  23,  31,  38 

Musketto  Hall  37,  47,  68 

Mussell  Robert  20,  26,  38 

Moulton  John  40 

Mustell  goodman  33 

Neall  Walter  23,  33,  34,  35,  37,  38 

Nelson  Matthew  43 

widow  43 
Newcastle  7,  47 
New  Hampshire  Council  59 

First  settlement  of  5,  6 

Province  68 

Provincial  Papers  45 
New  Nether  land  65 
Newichewannock  7,  49,  62 
Nicholson  Henry  42 
Nick  Phi  39 
Noble  Laza  42 

Stephen  40 
Noble's  Island  68 
North  burying  ground  50 

Parish  records  11 
Northfolk  56 
Nowell  Increase  14 
Odderhorne  Nath  40 
Odiorne  John  38 
Odiorne's  Point  5,  6,  49 
Olliver  John  43 
Onyun  Thomas  38 
Packer  John  40 

Thomas  41 
Paine  William  16 
Palmer  William  31 
Pannaway  5 
Parker  James  56 

William  41 
Parkes  John  40 
Parsley  Richard  41 
Partridge  John  39,  40 

William  41 
Pascataqua  5,  6,  9,  49,  51,  55,  56, 

58,  59,  61,  62,  64 
Pascataquack  64 
Paull  Daniel  38 
Peacock  Adam  41 
Pearce  George  43 
"Joshua  41 
Thomas  41 
Peavee  William  40 


74 


'Index 


Peirce  Joshua  4 
Pendexter  Ed  41 

James   39 

Pendilton  Joseph   19,  20 
Pendleton  Bryan  13, 16, 17, 18,  19 
20,21,22,23,  26,' 
27,  28,  29,  33,  34, 
39,  50,  52 

Penhallow  James  39 
Hunking  2 
John  4 
mr  55 
Samuel  41 
Pest  Island  68 
Peters  Hugh  55 
Peverly  John  43 
John  jr  43 
Nathaniel  43 
Peverlly  Thomas  13,  20,  21,  23,  26, 

38 

Pevey  William  43 
Phillip  Edward  40 
Phipps  Thomas  42 
Pickering  John  13,  14,  16,  17,  18, 
19,  20,  21,  22,  24, 
25,  27,  28,  29,  31, 
33,  34,  35,  36,  37, 
38,  39,  41,  48,  50, 
53,  54,  59 
Robert  40 

Pickern  Jolm    jr  39 
Pike   Doctor  43 
Pincomb's  Creek  35 
Piscataqua  57,  62,  65 
Pitman  Eliza  39 

Ezekiel  43 
Jabis  40 
James  41 
Joseph  41 
Samuel  39 
Plaisted  John  41,  48 

Mary  48 

Pleasant  Street  46 
Plimmoth  68 
Plymouth  5 
Pomeroy  Leonard   5 
Pomf res  Poynt  15,  46 
Pomt'ret  William 
Portsmouth  1,  2,  5,  6,  45,  52,  56, 
57,  59,  60,  63 
Annals  Of  8 
Rambles  About  2 
Pray  John  42 


Preston  John  39 
Province  The  49,  60.  63 
Puddle  Dock  48 

Pudington  Robert   13,  18,  20,  21,. 
22,  23,  26,  27,. 
30,  31,  33,  38 
Quick  Daniel  40 
Ragge  Jaffry  15 
Raines  Francis  30,  46,  50 
Rains  mr  29 
Rand  Francis  13,  21,  22,  24,  25,. 

26,  36,  38 

Randavou  The  18,  49 
Raye  Francis  4.0 
Raynes  50 
Records  Court  45 
Renals  John  17 
Riddan  Thaddeus  13,  18 
Roberts  Axwell  41 

John  39 
Robinson  John  43 

Nathaniel  42 

Rockingham  County  45,  47 
Roe  Anthony  senr  40 
"  junr  40 

Roger  Joseph  39 
Rose  Stephen  42 
Ross  William  43 
Row  Nicholis  20,  24,  26,  36,  38,  49 

Russel 42 

Eleazer  43 
Rye  5,  47 
Rymes  Samuel  42 
Saco  46,  52 

Sagamore  Creek  15,  31,  46,  47,  49 
Sander's  Point  49,  50 
Sandy  Beach  14,  25,  26,  31,  32,  36 
Sargent  John  38 
Savidg  Henry  38 
Savidge  John  jr  40 
Saward  Richard  senr  38 
junr  38 

Scott  Selvenge  40 
Seabrook  63 

Seavie  William  13,  14,  18,  19,  20, 
23,  26,  30,  33,  34, 
35,  36,  37,  38 
Seaward  Joseph  5 
Seward  goodman   27 

Henry  42 

Richard  20,  23,  34,  50 

William  43 
Sevy  Samuel  40 


Index 


Thomas  20, 21,  22,  23, 25,  30, 

37,38 

Shackford  John  42 
Samuel  42 

Shannon  Nathaniel  43 
Shapleigh  Nicholas  66,  67 
Sherborn  James  40 

John  13,  14,  20,  21,  22, 
23,  24,  26,  27,  38, 
39,  40,  43 
Joseph  41 
Samuel  42 
Thomas  42 
Thomas  jr  42 
Sherborn' s  Poynt  18,  49 
Sherburn  mr  37 
Sherburne  Edward  40 

Henry  4,  13,  14,  15,  16, 
17,  18,  19,  20,  21, 
23,26,  28,30,  36, 
37,38,41,  43,49, 
50,  52,  66 
Henry  jr  43 
Sherwill  Nicholas  5 
Shoals  Isle  of  61 
Shores  John  40 

Robert  39 

Shortridge  Richard  41 
Simpson  Thomas  43 
Skilton  John  42 

Sloper 66 

Ambrose  41 
Henry  42 
Richard  38,  39 
Smith  George  42 
Quince  38 
Smyth  George  45 
Snell  George  53 
John  40 

Snow 40 

Thos  40 

Spinny  James  41 
Spregg  William  40 
Square  Bar  38 
Stears  Walter  41 
Stewart  James  40 
Stileman  Elias  4,  31,  45,  47,  53,  60 
Story  Madam  41 

Strawberry  Bank  7,  14,  15,  17,  18, 

19,  20, 45,  46, 47, 

48,  49,  55,  59,  60, 

61,  64,  65,  66,  67 

Creek  50 


Street  Joseph  40 
Studley  James  43 

Jonathan  43 
Sturgeon  Creek  48 
Suffolk  Registry  1,  47,  66,  67 
Swaine  Roger  40 
Swan  Samuel  42 
Sweet  Joseph  40 
Tapley  Prudence  40 
Thomson  David  5,  6,  7 
Tobey  Richard  42 
Toogood  Ed  41 
Tout  Henry  40 
Townsend  George  43 
Treadwell  Samuel  P  12 
Trickee  Francis  21,  23 
Trike  Francis  13,  16,  20 
Trimin^s  Oliver  21 
Trimmings  Oliver  13,  15,  20,  22, 

23    25    36 
Tucker    Richard  21,'  28^  29,  35, 

37,  39,  47 

Tuckerman  Nathaniel  43 
Tuf  ton  61 
Urin  William  29 
Usher  Dermont  39 
Vaughan  George  41 

William  39,  41,  53,  54 
Walden  Thomas  41 
Waldron  Major  56 

Richard  43 
Walford  goodman  26 

Jeremy  16,  20,  23,  32,  38 
Thomas  13,  20,  23, 28,  32, 
33,  34, 35, 36,  37, 
38 

Walker  George  39,  41,  42 
Joseph  38 
widow  42 
William  40 
Wallis  George  39 
Walton  George  9,  13,   18,  19,  20, 
21,  23,  28,  37,  38, 
42,  50,   60 

Wannerton  Thomas  9,  37 
Ward  Richard  43 

Robert  40 
Warren  Walter  43 

William  40 

Waterhouse  Richard  41,  42 
Samuel  40 
Timothy  41 
Watson  William  43 


76 


Index 


Webster  John  15, 19,  20, 23,  25,  26, 
29,  33, 34,  35,  36,  37, 
38 
the  younger  31 

Wedg  Thomas  38 

Weeks  Leonard  38 

Wells  Edward  40 

Wentworth 49,  50 

George  4 
Hunking  4 

West  Edward  39 

Westbrook  Thomas  43 

Westbrous  John  41 

Weymouth  56 

Whedden  Michael  41 

Whidden  Michael  jr  43 

White  William  41 

Wibird  Richard  41 


Wiggin  Thomas  56,  62 
Wilkinson  Thomas  43 
Willet  mr  42 
Williams  Francis  17,  58 

John  42 

Thomas   15,  31,  47 
Winacont  River  23,  33,  35,  37 
Winkley  Samuel  41 
Winnepiseogee  63 
Winthrop  55,  56,  61 
Witch  Creek  49 
Woodhouse  Phillip  43 
Wotton  John  20,  24,  37,  47,  (. 
Wotton's  Neck  16 
Wright  Thomas  40 
Wyal   Alexander   43 
York  46,  64 
Young  John  42 


CORRECTIONS: 


Page  29,  line  7   from  bottom,  for  "1663,"  read  "1653." 
"    40,  Iine4,for  "Odderhorme,"  read  "Odderhorne." 


7^/X^Wre., 


at 


a 


<M 


<x 


J 


C 


- 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIB 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  bei* 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

405  Hilgard  Avenue,  Los  Angeles,  CA  90024-1388 

Return  this  material  to  the  library 

from  which  it  was  borrowed. 


Ww*: 


;^Vv^v^ 

\Wr^vVA/vA 


>'     '  a  v/  V'  v 


V  ^  v  v          ^ 


HERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A    001  339894    6 


- 


v%   A  \ 


' 


Univi 
Sc 
I 


v  — ... 


